Today is Wild Koala Day, and conservation groups throughout the Hunter are calling on the community to help protect the rapidly declining species.
Koala populations in some areas of the Hunter are on the decline, while in other areas they've already completely disappeared.
Port Stephens Local Government Area is home to the biggest population of koalas in the Hunter, but even that is in danger of becoming non existent.
"In Newcastle there might be one or two out near Sugarloaf; Cessnock is the same with maybe one or two there, there's none in Maitland and none in Newcastle. They've been wiped out, because there used to be a big population in Raymond terrace as well, but its gone and ours (Port Stephens) is on the tipping point because of development," said volunteer koala carer Sue Swain.
Wild Koala Day organisers are asking the community to remember the three P's when it comes to koala conservation - Plant a Tree, Protect a Forest and Phone your local Pollie and tell them how important Koalas are.
"Its a public awareness campaign to get people to think about it, maybe lobby the government, plant a food tree on their front lawn, something like that - volunteer for land care group, volunteer for a wildlife conservation group, do something like that so that we can get some voices behind the message," said Sue Swain.
Australia tops the list of being the worlds worst country for native species going extinct and Sue Swain says "something has got to be done and it's got to be done now before it's too late - if it isn't already".
