SYDNEY, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A biodegradable vaccine implant delivering a chlamydia vaccine has been administered to a wild koala for the first time, in efforts to curb a disease threatening the iconic species, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Australia said.
The 18-month-old female koala, named Bamse, was captured on Australia's Gold Coast and treated at the local Currumbin Wildlife Hospital in May. Veterinarians administered an initial injection and inserted an implant designed to release a booster shot after 30 days, eliminating the need for recapture, WWF Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.
Bamse is wearing a tracking collar and will be monitored for at least six months to assess the implant's effectiveness, the statement said.
The trial, led by Australia's Queensland University of Technology and Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, aims to make large-scale vaccination of wild koalas "much more practical" and "much less stressful for the animals," while requiring fewer staff and resources, it said.
Chlamydia infection can cause blindness, infertility and even death in koalas. Previous vaccination efforts required two separate captures, limiting scalability. ■
