A German film crew searched for You Yangs koalas this week while shooting a documentary set to air to 5 million people in Europe.
Local tour operator Echidna Walkabout guided the crew through the mountain woodlands in search of the furry critters.
The documentary would draw tourists to the region and shine a spotlight on the plight of local koalas, according to Echidna Walkabout’s Roger Smith.
“It’s a classic win-win story,” he said.
“The economic, promotional and feel good benefits to the region of documentaries like this are astronomical.”
Wildlife brought more than 10,000 international visitors to the You Yangs and each koala was worth $25,000 to the local economy, Mr Smith estimated.
Even the film crew brought economic benefits, staying at Little River, and renting vehicles and buying provisions locally, he said.
The choice of the You Yangs for the documentary highlighted “growing international fascination” with the location, Mr Smith said.
Fellow Echidna Walkabout founder Janine Duffy this week guided the crews through the trees home to the world’s most-famous non-captive koala, Clancy.
The documentary focused on the impact of climate change and tree clearing on koalas and would screen in Germany and France in coming months, Mr Smith said.
Many Europeans were worried about “dramatic declines” in wildlife worldwide and liked to watch documentaries investigating conservation efforts, he said.
He and Ms Duffy had worked with numerous documentary makers in the You Yangs over 26 years, he said.
The filming comes as Parks Victoria drafts a master plan for the You Yangs and Serendip Sanctuary.
BELOW: Janine Duffy speaks to National Geographic in 2007.
