First koala in 13 years seen at Yourka Reserve in Far North Queensland

A koala has been spotted in a Far North Queensland bush reserve for the first time in more than a decade.

The Yourka Reserve, west of Tully, spans 43,500 hectares and is managed by conservation foundation Bush Heritage Australia.

The site is at the northernmost edge of the typical distribution of koalas.

Last month, however, a distinctive growl led wildlife volunteers to a tree where a healthy male was spotted clinging to the trunk.

Reserve Manager Paul Hales said it was the first koala he had seen there since the foundation took over the property in 2007.

“They’re a hard thing to find, even when you know they’re there,” he said.

Mr Hales said two volunteers from…