We thought inbred koalas were at risk of extinction. But what we discovered upends genetic conventions

If you follow media coverage of koalas, you could be forgiven for feeling confused.

Recent stories describe a “koala paradox”: endangered in the north of Australia, abundant in the south; genetically diverse in some regions, genetically depleted in others.

Koala populations are often described simultaneously as being in crisis or overabundant. These accounts attempt to capture the complexity of this species across different histories and geographic locations. But they also reveal a deeper problem with how we assess genetic risk in wildlife (the likelihood a population will go extinct because it has lost too much genetic diversity).

Our new research shows relying too heavily on genetic indicators—how genetic diversity and inbreeding are measured—can be misleading. And we found the koala to be a powerful case study for a much broader lesson in conservation.