Today marks the first day of Save The Koala Month – a celebration, fundraiser and awareness campaign led by us, all in the name of helping our furry Aussie icon.

Often in the spotlight, Australia’s wild Koala populations are under pressure, continually competing with humans for prime real estate.

AKF Chief Executive, Deborah Tabart OAM says that above all, the biggest issue that Koalas face is habitat loss.

“So now our main focus is on new legislation, because it is clear that the current system is broken,” Ms. Tabart said.

“We have written a Koala Protection Act, which is based on the Bald Eagle Act from the USA, which saved their iconic species.

“The Koala Protection Act’s basic premise is that you can’t touch Koala trees.

“Now, we need a huge amount of support, and September is the perfect time for people from around Australia to get involved,” she said.

Axel, 10, from Brisbane is showing his support in a big way this September, by holding a fundraiser in lieu of his birthday party, and requesting that his friends and family donate to the AKF rather than gifting him presents.

“I want to help because Koalas are my favourite animal, and it’s more important for them to be saved than for me to have presents,” he said.

Axel’s mum, Ann, said that she wasn’t surprised by her son’s generosity, as he’s said in the past that if he won the lottery, he would give it all away to help save Koalas.

“I think the day will be rewarding for all of us,” Ann said.

There are lots of ways to help this September, including ordering a donation box, ordering some stickers to sell and creating your own fundraiser like Axel.