The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) will take to the streets on Sunday for the Koala Army’s March for Creatures Great and Small, its flagship event of the year.

The march will begin at 10am, at Kings Park, and end at 1pm, at Parliament House, and coincides with the start of Save the Koala Month.

The group will be calling for legislative change to protect Australia’s wildlife.

Canberrans can expect to see costumes and displays, with AKF chair Deborah Tabart leading the march as Palmy, the Palm Cockatoo. 

Former senator Dr Bob Brown will walk alongside Palmy as a fellow advocate for the protection of native forest. 

“Our country is teeming with life, colour, and species that have taken millions of years to evolve and we are squandering it all, on a daily basis,” says Ms Tabart.

“Every single creature deserves to live in a safe place, without fear of shrinking habitats or human destruction, especially if this is happening due to lack of political will.

“This event will be a message from the people of Australia – enough is enough, stop clearing precious habitat and implement the Koala Protection Act, which will save millions of species.

“For the past 34 years, the Australian Koala Foundation has focused on science, research, and reason in the hope of sound town planning. But, sadly, in that time the koala has gone from ‘Common’ to ‘Vulnerable’ and now to ‘Endangered’ due to a lack of action to protect them.

“Before Koalas become ‘Critically Endangered’, which usually means they are gone, we need the people of Australia to join the Koala Army and march with us. The march will be a dazzling spectacle, a joyous celebration of all creatures great and small, with an underlying plea – Australians truly love Koalas and want urgent action to protect them.”

Register at savethekoala.com/koala-army