Feel Good Koala Story

A feel good koala story after the New South Wales bushfires!

The Australian Reptile Park, near Sydney has announced the arrival of their first baby koala since the devastating bushfires.

Quiz: What do you call a baby koala?

The keepers named her ‘Ash’ after the terrible bushfires that impacted parts of the East Coast of Australia earlier this year.  Come meet ‘Ash’ the baby koala, a positive 2020 miracle.

Phillip Island Penguins Koala

Koalas are one of Australia’s most iconic animals, feeding only on a special type of eucalyptus tree. With sub-populations of koalas widely distributed around Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. The average weight of a Victorian koala (12kg) is nearly twice that of Queensland koala (6.5kg), with koalas in the north having a short thin lighter coloured fur so they can accommodate the warmer temperatures. Those koalas located in Victoria have a thicker darker fur, to combat the chilly winter months.

koala crossing road

Koalas are one of the most famous animals in the world and one of Australia’s most iconic animals, loved for its cuteness. I wonder how many people realise that the word Koala is an Aboriginal word? The miss-pronounced word actually comes from the Dharug word, gula/coola/koolah which means no water or no drink. 

Feeding only on a diet of eucalyptus leaves, this makes koalas particularly vulnerable during bushfires season as the oil from the leaves act as fuel for our bushfires. This reduced habitat is definitely impacting the Australian koala population, however there are a number of great organisations and support groups that are actively involved in the recovery stage.

For example, a number of the koalas rescued during the bushfires are being carefully rehabilitated at the Koala Hospital located in Port Macquarie. Here you have the opportunity to ‘Adopt a Wild Koala’ where funds are used to rescue, treat sick and injured koalas so they can be released back into the wild. 

To help support habitat recovery checkout Aussie Ark, a not for profit organisation and registered charity, dedicated to creating a long-term future for our threatened Australian species.

Answer:  As it’s a marsupial, babies are called joeys.

Phillip Island Koala Conservation

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