Claude the koala made headlines around the world last September when he was caught red handed munching his way through $6,000 worth of seedlings.
But there has been a happy outcome from the very hungry marsupial’s thefts at the Eastern Forest Nursery near Lismore, in northern NSW, with new trees being planted after his rampage.
Nursery manager Humphrey Herington, who named the koala Claude due to his large claws, said he had munched through thousands of seedlings.
‘He’s tucked into every type of koala food tree we grow here,’ he said in September.
‘Clearly Claude thinks this is a restaurant but if that was the case his bill would be about $6,000 by now.’
Mr Herington said Claude was ‘pretty stroppy’ when he moved him a few hundred metres down the road to his neighbour’s property.
But the cheeky koala returned just two days later in hopes of satisfying his appetite.
The publicity generated by Claude’s cheeky cravings led to the nursery receiving a large donation to cover the cost of the stolen saplings.
They have donated the seedlings back to WWF to use in community projects.
Claude the koala (pictured) made headlines around the world last September when he was caught red handed munching his way through $6,000 worth of seedlings
Pictured L-R: Nursery manager Humphrey Herington, Greens MP Sue Higginson and WWF’s Maria Borges are seen helping plant the new trees
So far, around 500 seedlings have since been planted in a field near the nursery.
WWF-Australia Koalas Forever project officer Maria Borges said Claude’s criminality showed there was a desperate need for food trees.
‘This area in the Northern Rivers, especially around Lismore, is heavily cleared and it’s really missing good quality habitat for them,’ she said.
‘We need to plant more trees and urgently stop tree clearing especially around the Northern Rivers which is a stronghold for koala populations in New South Wales.
‘Through our Koalas Forever program, WWF is working with about 10 local communities, including traditional owners and Indigenous Rangers, to deliver habitat restoration and revegetation projects in the area.
‘We’ve funded the planting of about 400,000 trees so far and we’re aiming for 500,000 by the end of the year.’
Greens MP Sue Higginson, whose farm the seedlings were planted on, was delighted to be able to help.
‘We’re in one of the most biodiverse, rich areas on this continent, but historical clearing has seriously degraded the area,’ she said.
‘Living with koalas is an incredibly special, exciting, and fun thing. The seedlings planted today are in addition to the 10,000 trees we have put in the ground here over the last couple of years.
‘We’re doing this because we have an incredible koala population hanging on for dear survival right here.’
Claude the koala is pictured with his eye on some seedlings that he took without permission
Ms Higginson said she was sure the newly planted trees would make a difference for koalas and the landscape.
Having been burned before, though, Mr Herington has asked Claude to show some restraint in future.
‘Claude if you’re watching this, please come back when they’ve grown into trees, not when they’re in our nursery as seedlings,’ he said.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Claude for comment.
