Indigenous Rangers Celebrate Boorubee's Comeback
Koalas, known as Boorubee, have made a surprising return to the Minyumai Indigenous Protected Area in New South Wales. The area’s local rangers are thrilled after fearing the marsupials had disappeared following the 2019-20 bushfires.
The devastating fires burned 90% of Minyumai IPA, causing grave concerns for the koala population. The last confirmed sighting of koalas was in 2018. Yet, in June 2023, a wildlife camera captured an image of a koala named ‘Rubee’, marking a significant milestone in their recovery.
Senior Minyumai Ranger Maitland Wilson shared the team’s delight. “We were going through the photos and then we came across the koala and we were freaking out. We had no idea they were here,” he said. “I wanted them back on Country and to conserve them.”
Monitoring and Recovery Efforts
The Boorubee Monitoring & Recovery Project is spearheaded by Minyumai’s women rangers, with support from WWF Australia and furniture brand Koala. As part of their efforts, they have planted 2,500 koala food and shelter trees, conducted cultural burns, and cleared invasive lantana to facilitate koala movement.
Thermal drone surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025 located six koalas in 2024 and nine in 2025. Analysis confirmed that Minyumai’s koalas are chlamydia-free, a rare status compared to other northern NSW populations, where infection rates can reach 80%.
Minyumai Ranger Supervisor Harry Wilson emphasised the importance of cultural burning. “It feels really good doing cultural burning on our property. Having that connection to Country and doing it the way our ancestors did it,” he stated.
The project highlights the significance of Indigenous-led conservation efforts. Traditional knowledge is combined with modern technology, such as drone surveys and scat analysis, to aid koala recovery.
WWF’s Senior Manager of Koala Recovery, Tanya Pritchard, emphasised the importance of supporting Indigenous-led restoration to prevent koala extinction. Meanwhile, Bandjalang language teacher Simone Barker expressed hopes for Minyumai as a sanctuary for koalas, keeping them safe from external threats.
Rangers were also surprised by images of a herd of camels. These camels were later found to have escaped from a nearby property, adding an unexpected twist to their conservation efforts.
Bandjalang Elder Auntie Bonnie Wilson shared a cultural story, “My great grandfather was a revered Elder who knew many of the old stories handed down. One story was that Boorubee were never to be hunted, but protected.” This sentiment continues to guide the rangers’ conservation mission today.
