Where the Funk is the AKF (Australian Koala Foundation)? They were missing in action at Cape Otway Region Victoria in 2015.
The problem with non-profit organisations is that they tend to sensationalise issues, capitalising on humanity's desire for emotion-driven content, rather than prioritising balanced facts. Where were they this time round?? Of course, these organisations must ensure their survival - which is dependent on supporters and donor funds – by appealing to the emotional nature of people. However, this approach creates various problems as these non-profits dive into a cause and become the self-proclaimed superheroes of the cause without an adequate understanding of the issue. They end up merely attaching their name to it, sensationalise the story, raise funds for their organisation, generate media attention, and then exit before the problem is actually addressed.
The Australian Koala Foundation is one such organisation that has used advocacy measures that have really only portrayed themselves as heroes, without having a significant impact on the koala or the industry itself. Rising off the back of the popularity of the captive koala industry in the 1980's, the Australian Koala Foundation quickly made a name for themselves in Queensland, mainly through aggressive tactics that divided people and created havoc across the koala conversation industry. Even now, the projects that they select to stand behind are strategic ones that will build their own reputation and give them a sense of prestige.
The 2014 koala cull in Cape Otway region, Victoria, is a perfect example of the Australian Koala Foundation's misguided project strategies. When the Victorian government secretly culled over 700-800 koalas, the Australian Koala Foundation was relatively silent. Whether or not they had foreseen this, it is unknown, however, unsurprising. They had not developed the correct infrastructure or understanding of the landscape to be able to predict or deal with these issues. However, the most pressing problem is the lack of communication and cross-sector collaboration. The Australian Koala Foundation will continue to fail koalas unless they work more harmoniously with others – including governments, field workers, industry bodies and captive sector managers. The AKF occupies the role of an architect within the koala sector: they draw plans for the "house" and help lay the foundational requirements. However, in order to ensure the successful construction of the house, they MUST work with builders and laypeople, and this means giving such people the autonomy, trust and freedom that they deserve.
AKF often seeks drama in all of their projects, constantly trying to draw the next media headline, unconcerned if the stories are actually true or false. They have become stale and lost touch with their original mission and have lost the ability to truly understand what is best for the koala. While the AKF has certainly made contributions to the Australian koala over the years, they have become outdated - and in some cases, harmful - to the narrative of the koala.
In order for the koala to thrive in Australian society, the Australian Koala Foundation needs to change their narrative, broaden their vision, and learn to work with others. Dictatorship will not work in the Australian landscape. The Australian Koala Foundation must cooperate with others, learn to value a broader range of opinions, drop their ego and pursuit of headline-grabbing stories, and prioritise the Australian koala.
Questions are being asked by numerous people. In April 2015, the Vice President of the Sunshine Coast Koala Wildlife Rescue, Murray Chambers launched a scathing attack on Deborah Tabart, accusing her organisation of doing nothing to protect koalas on their coastline. Again, this reveals a deep lack of knowledge on her part, and it indicates that AKF has run out of ideas to reinvent and reinvigorate interest from the Australian public.
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