Drones count koalas faster and cheaper than manual spotting methods: study Posted SatSaturday 9 updated SatSaturday 9 JanJanuary 2021 at 8:28pm Accurate estimates of koala populations is notoriously hard, but new research suggests drones may offer a cheaper and more effective method. ( Print text only Cancel For an animal that's culturally ubiquitous, koalas are remarkably hard to spot in the wild. As a result, it's difficult for scientists and conservationists to know just how many koalas are out there. In New South Wales the population could be around 36,000, but last year's NSW parliamentary inquiry heard those figures are "outdated and unreliable" and the real number could be half that.