Australian scientists have begun vaccinating wild koalas against chlamydia in an ambitious field trial in New South Wales.
The aim is to test a method for protecting the beloved marsupials against a widespread disease that causes blindness, infertility and death.
"It's killing koalas because they become so sick they can't climb trees to get food, or escape predators, and females can become infertile," said Samuel Phillips, a microbiologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast who helped to develop the vaccine.
The scientists' initial goal is to catch, vaccinate and monitor around half of the koala population in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales — that means vaccinating around 50 animals.
The safety and effectiveness of the
single-shot vaccine, which has been designed specifically for koalas, has previously been tested by vaccinating a few hundred koalas brought to wildlife rescue centers for other afflictions.
Now scientists want to understand the impact of vaccinating a population of wild koalas. "We want to evaluate what percentage of the koalas we need to vaccinate to meaningfully reduce infection and disease," said Phillips.
The first koalas were caught and vaccinated in March, and the effort is expected to last about three months.
Researchers use binoculars to spot koalas in eucalyptus trees, then construct circular enclosures around the tree bases with doors leading into cages. After a few hours or days, the koalas will eventually climb down from one tree to seek tasty leaves on another, and wander into the harmless traps.
I wanna be bloody and bruised by a woman wearing a 1960s Batgirl uniform that catches The Joker's Number One Goon, "Rufus Roughcutt" aka "Thick Neck Jenkins" stealing bras and making a powerful aphrodisiac from tiddy residue. That's why it's 200 dollars.
I'm immune to the clap. Us marsupials molded by the mating rituals, while you humans eat ass and do diabolitical shyt that would make a wombat pass out
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