Koalas Spotted Near Jenolan Caves

One night in late September, Sydney Speleological Society members spotted 2 koalas in a tree just off the Jenolan Caves Road, only a few kilometres from Jenolan.  They were excited, because koalas are very rare in the region.  

Members posted several clear photos on their Facebook page and they reported the sighting to the Blue Mountains Koala Project. 

In the 1960s, there were 2 unsuccessful attempts to breed koalas in specially built compounds near Jenolan Caves.  In 2010 rumour has it that a koala was sighted at Jenolan.  Following the 2013 bushfires in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, koalas were spotted in areas where they had not been seen for decades.  For example, in October 2015, a koala was sighted by a ranger in the Kanangra Boyd National Park, south of Oberon.  This latest sighting may be evidence that a very small population of koalas exists near Jenolan Caves.

Now that Spring is in the air, evening and early morning walks are very pleasant at Jenolan.  Four bushwalking tracks give you a good chance of spotting wildlife.   The Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve, in the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, is the natural habitat of a variety of wild native animals. The caves themselves are home to several varieties of microbat.  Platypus, lyre birds, eastern water dragons, kangaroos, wallaroos, echidnas and crimson rosellas are sometimes seen during the day – also three kinds of wallabies.  Most notable are the rare brush tailed rock wallabies which live in and around the entrance of the Lucas Cave.  In addition, at night, there are possums, wombats and even quolls. 

Take advantage of this tranquil time (between school holidays) to stay overnight at Jenolan.  There is accommodation for all needs and budgets, from heritage-listed hotel to self-contained cottages.