There were the usual sightings of Liz from around Sirius Street in Ruse, and of males bellowing from Wyangala Crescent, Leumeah, and a sighting from Minto Heights. Then there were two calls from Georges River Road, Kentlyn, where koalas had entered gardens patrolled by dogs. Unfortunately the dogs killed one of the koalas which was carrying a tiny joey, no larger than my thumbnail.

Then last Thursday at midnight we received a call from Laurence reporting his fears that a koala beside Riverside Drive, Airds, was in danger from traffic.

I explained that we were receiving so many calls about koalas now that it was overwhelming our small research group and we only rescued late at night now if the koala was in grave danger. So if they could drive the koala up a street tree then it should be safe.

A few minutes later a call came in from Lorraine about the same koala reporting that although they had driven the koala up a tree it was obviously uncomfortable. Moreover there were two dogs lurking nearby and she was afraid for the koala's life.

She was prepared to wait there with it until I arrived. So 30 minutes later I arrived to find several people clustered beneath an iron bark eucalypt with the koala about four metres up and two metres from Riverside Drive. I was just preparing my catching poles when Lorraine called "It's coming down".

Sure enough, despite the onlookers, it climbed down and started running along the footpath. I grabbed my welding gloves and a bag and gave chase. We raced together for 40 metres with cars whizzing past us until it stopped momentarily to assess the situation. I was then able to grab the koala and bag it.

We then discovered that the koala was ear-tagged and it turned out to be Bernie, whom we had first captured in August 2010 in Acacia Avenue, Ruse.

Bernie was rescued a few months ago by a motorist on Georges River Road and released near Acacia Avenue. So she had moved two kilometres.

I released her again near the Woolwash, but if she moves along the same path that our young koalas are taking we'll see her again in St Helens Park.

Report koala sightings on the UWS pager, 9962 9996.