All About the Koala

Koala - Phasclarctos cinereus.

Contrary to some peoples belief, Koalas are not bears. They are actually more closely related to wombats and kangaroos. They are usually called 'Koala Bears' as they closely resemble a teddy bear.
Sadly, there are now only between 2000 and 8000 Koalas left in the wild. They mostly live on the East coast of Australia, however, in less than a decade there has been a 90% drop in the koalas population. This is widely due to loss of natural habitat. Although they usually are found living in close nit groups they will not share their tree with another koala. This is because they are territorial and is a major problem when they have so little habitat. This means that koalas are spending more time on the ground and are becoming victims to dingo and dog attacks which further reduces their numbers. The koalas population decrease is also due to disease. Over 2 million koalas were killed between 1908 and 1927.

Koalas are warm blooded mammals which means they give birth to live young. Gestation takes about 35 days.They also have a pouch in which the young spend 5-6 months as they grow and develop. For this reason they are also marsupials. The cubs are not fully weaned until 12 months old. They can only give birth to one cub at a time and at birth they are about the size of a jellybean.

Koalas can run as fast as a rabbit, however, they feed on only eucalyptus leaves which gives them little energy and nutrition so they spend most of the day and night snoozing in trees. They eat 1/2 to 1 kg of eucalyptus leaves each night and this makes their fur smell like eucalyptus.

Koalas weigh from 5.5 kgs to over 10 kgs and can live around 12 years in the wild and 15-16 years in captivity. They communicate by making low snoring noises called bellowing.

Koalas are rapidly disappearing and it is our job to help them. It is after all humans that have upset the balance of the ecosystem. Please keep your dogs in the yard express your support for their habitat when the chance arises. We want to keep these amazing creatures around for years to come.