Overview

• Koalas descend from trees only two to three times per night, spending an average of ten minutes on the ground—less than 1% of their daily activity.
• Data from novel GPS loggers and six-axis accelerometers tracked koala positions every five minutes and captured ground movements in five-second bursts.
• Despite their brief ground use, two-thirds of recorded koala fatalities occur during these descents, primarily from vehicle strikes or dog attacks.
• Researchers presented the findings at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference on July 9, 2025, marking the first study of fine-scale ground behavior in wild koalas.
• Conservationists are evaluating strategies to improve canopy connectivity and prioritize key vegetation to reduce ground crossings and enhance koala survival.