Cheyne Flanagan OAM recently retired as Clinical Director at Koala Conservation Australia. Cheyne is passionate, knowledgeable and instrumental in the pursuit of our Wild Koala Breeding Program, which officially opens at Guulabaa in December 2024. In 2023, Cheyne was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to wildlife preservation and conservation over 47 years.
A couple of years ago, Cheyne sat down with 100 Climate Conversation Podcast and it's a great conversation - more relevant, and even more important now.
As the introduction to the 100 Climate Conversations podcast says:
"The outpouring of public support to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital during the Black Summer bushfires confirmed an Australian truth: koalas are among our most beloved species. As populations dwindle due to deforestation and worsening environmental conditions, dedicated staff at the hospital, including clinical director Cheyne Flanagan, are helping these incredible animals persevere."
Koalas are now endangered in New South Wales, ACT and Queensland and will be extinct by 2050 without decisive action. Loss of habitat, development and urban sprawl increasingly push our koala populations into high risk areas and deaths due to car strikes and dog attacks are frequent. The diminishing habitat also means that populations are having to live closer than ever before, meaning disease is spreading.
Koala Conservation Australia's Wild Koala Breeding Program and Visitor Centre will officially open to the public in December 2024. This is the realisation of a dream fostered by Cheyne, and made possible by the generosity of community throughout the black summer bushfires and beyond. We have done what we said we would do and we can't wait to share it with you - you are all part of this incredible journey.
You can read the transcript and listen to the podcast here
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