Hill D, Higgins D P
Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Aust Vet J. 2025 Aug;103(8):464-474. doi: 10.1111/avj.13413. Epub 2025 Jan 21.
This study appraises recent research to critically evaluate knowledge on the factors that influence decisions around the release of rehabilitated koalas to fire-affected home sites. Availability of koala release sites could be compromised at times in the future by the increasing incidence of large and intense bushfires due to climate change. In addition, factors such as the fragmentation of koala habitat and increasing urbanisation impose other threats to the long-term survival of the released koala. Our investigation is conducted as a Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) with eight papers selected to be appraised. We highlight three key areas that affect koala rehabilitation and release to fire-affected home sites - the resilience of the koala in recovery, the adaptation ability of the koala upon release and the components of the fire-affected habitat. The evidence shows that the koala is a good candidate for release given that burnt koalas are resilient in rehabilitation and many can recover and then adapt quickly to their release site. Findings from this study indicate that, when the release site is affected by fire, the conditions that are more favourable for koala release are low severity of fire impact, greater distance from urban areas, connection to unfragmented habitat and previous management of predators. These findings can inform wildlife release and rescue as well as government planning and urban development.
本研究评估了近期的研究，以批判性地评估关于影响将康复后的考拉放归受火灾影响的栖息地的决策因素的知识。由于气候变化，未来大型强烈丛林火灾的发生率不断增加，考拉放归地点的可用性可能会受到影响。此外，考拉栖息地破碎化和城市化加剧等因素对放归考拉的长期生存构成了其他威胁。我们的调查作为一个批判性评价主题（CAT）进行，选择了八篇论文进行评价。我们强调了影响考拉康复并放归受火灾影响栖息地的三个关键领域——考拉康复的恢复力、放归时的适应能力以及受火灾影响栖息地的组成部分。证据表明，考拉是放归的合适候选者，因为被烧伤的考拉在康复过程中具有恢复力，许多考拉能够恢复并迅速适应放归地点。这项研究的结果表明，当放归地点受到火灾影响时，更有利于考拉放归的条件是火灾影响的严重程度较低、离城市地区较远、与未破碎化的栖息地相连以及之前对捕食者的管理。这些发现可为野生动物放归和救援以及政府规划和城市发展提供参考。
