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newy.com.au – A citywide survey to identify and map koala habitats in Lake Macquarie has begun, with specially trained English springer spaniels now sniffing out koala droppings across bushland west of Teralba. The initiative, launched on 29 July 2025, forms part of a broader effort under the NSW Koala Strategy to support conservation and planning in the region.
Lake Macquarie City Council is collaborating with Canines for Wildlife, a Mid North Coast-based organisation, to deploy detection dogs like Poa, who can locate koala scat from up to 100 metres away. Council Manager Environmental Systems Brendan Callander said the dogs are helping to “quickly and efficiently search for the presence of koalas and get a better idea of their habitat use and distribution in Lake Macquarie.”
Lily Alvarez, Poa’s handler, explained the detailed process involved in training and fieldwork. “She’s trained to find koala scat by associating it with a reward – a tennis ball. That’s all she gets rewarded for, so it trumps everything else,” Ms Alvarez said. Surveys are conducted in 200 by 50 metre transects, where handlers monitor behavioural cues that signal the presence of scat. “She’ll lie down with her nose near it, and that’s our indication to confirm it’s there,” she added.
Poa has been working in koala detection for two years, having previously trained in weed detection in Victoria. Although currently focused solely on koala scent, Ms Alvarez noted that other dogs in their team are trained to detect invasive species such as black rats and hawkweed, provided odour profiles do not overlap.
The survey will continue over several weeks, with dogs covering about one hectare at a time. NSW Government funding under the Koala Strategy has supported the project. “Identifying habitat actually used by koalas in Lake Macquarie will help manage the animals and the areas they are using,” Mr Callander said. “It will also assist with any future planning for development and conservation in the local government area.”
Further information on the NSW Koala Strategy is available at environment.nsw.gov.au.
newy.com.au - City of Newcastle welcomed the public back inside the Newcastle Art Gallery today, unveiling the first completed spaces of its expansion at the Laman Street site and offering a preview timed to the opening day of the New Annual festival. The partial reopening gives locals an early […]
