New partnership gives councils more grip on local koala numbers

Specialists paired with councillors this week – from the Logan, Gold Coast and Tweeds councils – to further their understanding of how drone technology can be used for koala conservation.

The electronic tracker, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), is hoped to prove cheaper and more accurate than current tracking methods.

Logan City Councillor Lisa Bradley said sniffer dogs have been used the last four years to track the movement and habitat of koalas.

“What the drones will allow us to do is scan four hectares in 90 minutes, which is great,” she said.

“We have been using dogs the last few years, and tracking koalas can be a really grueling task.

“They can be hard to find, and when you’re using a dog and a handler, it takes a lot longer.”

QUT aerospace engineer Associate Professor Felipe Gonzalez said the secret behind the team’s success was the development of a unique combination of UAV with thermal imaging, statistical modelling and AI.

“We’ve found that thermal imaging can detect even well-camouflaged koalas effectively, and our counting and tracking algorithms can allow us to differentiate the shape of a koala from a possum, bird or other animal,” he said.

Councillor Bradley said the latest tracking technology will help collect data in areas like the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, which stretches across 435 hectares of open eucalyptus forest.

“With this information, we can plan around the animal, and expand on our understanding of koala numbers and their habitat,” she said.

“This kind of technology is limitless.

“When we get our heads around it, we can eventually keep an eye on and track other animals around the region, as well as non-natives and predators.”