Koalas make chlamydia-free comeback after bushfires

0:00They're an Australian icon, but koalas are now in danger to their populations across New South Wales, hit hard by loss of habitat, bushfire and disease, but a program is trying to restore their numbers on the North Coast, and it seems to be working. After the devastation of the Black Summer bushfires, in bushland where 90% was burned, fears the blazers had wiped out its koalas, known locally as burrubi. Burrubi is very important, it's a native animal, it's something that is endangered. In the Minumai Indigenous protected area on the North Coast near Evans Head, a few years later a camera trap captured a surprise comeback. We come across the koal, I'm like freaking out like, wow koalas, we had no idea they were here.

1:01Intensifying efforts to remake Minumai as a sanctuary, planting thousands of trees for food and habitat. Clear in the Lantana, that's grown off around the base, so easy for the koalas to climb up in the tree. We do culture burning Minumai to help burrubi to walk through country, easy. Now using thermal drones, scanning trees at night has revealed burrubi numbers are growing, the latest survey counting at least nine. Combining traditional knowledge with modern technology is gold standard for regenerating nature. And while in other areas koalas have been severely affected by chlamydia, testing of droppings here confirming this population is chlamydia free and healthy. I'm hoping they'll thrive out here and that's what we want. Paul Karak, 7 News.