A cuddly koala has become the first of its species to receive a revolutionary new chlamydia vaccine, in a research programme which hopes to save the species from extinction
A koala has become the first animal to get a revolutionary new chlamydia vaccine as part of the fight to save the endangered species from extinction. Bamse – Norwegian for “teddy bear” – was jabbed by vets at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital in Australia after being captured in the wild.
The lovable creature was given a new biodegradable implant developed by researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), saving it the usual stress of being recaptured to get a life-saving second dose.
Hospital staff bid the ‘bear’ farewell as they released it back into the wild, but were reunited only a month later as Bamse was recaptured for a checkup.
Researchers have confirmed she remains chlamydia-free. They hope the new vaccine will make it easier and more realistic to roll out their programme, potentially helping to save the species which was officially classed as ‘endangered’ in Australia in 2022.
Chlamydia is one of the biggest threats to koalas, causing blindness, infertility and even death. Scientists hope the new vaccine will prevent the spread and help them to reproduce more safely.
Dr Michael Pyne, a senior veterinarian, called the creation of the new vaccine a “massive breakthrough” and “a truly remarkable moment”.
He said: “We’ve been working with vaccines against chlamydial disease in koalas for over five years now and this is a massive breakthrough where we are turning a two-injection vaccine into an injection and an implant that can be all applied in one examination.”
The new tech automatically releases a second dose of the vaccine around 30 days after the first. Bamse is one of five koalas to receive the revolutionary implant so far.
Dr Pyne said: “Bamse was a great candidate, a young female koala, the poster child for the future of the species. We’ll be monitoring her over the next six months. It’ll be exciting to see her when she gets her first joey.”
Dr Freya Russel, a researcher at QUT, described the relief she felt when she realised her years of research were finally coming to fruition. She said: “It felt like a turning point where all of the research setbacks and persistence over the last few years have finally come to the point where we can make a real-world impact.”
More than 500 koalas have already been vaccinated through the programme at QUT, and chlamydia admissions in the region have already fallen by 75 per cent.
Researchers also say the population has enjoyed a baby boom, with 41 joeys and 13 grand-joeys born in what was once one of Queensland’s worst-affected koala populations. The team hopes to expand the programme across the country, and potentially to use the tech to help tackle disease in other species.