Koala's Fun Facts | Wild Life | Sydney

The koala is one of the world’s most iconic animal species – right up there with the panda, tiger, elephant, dolphin, and polar bear. With their round bodies, large fluffy ears and distinctive spoon-shaped noses, koalas are not only loved around the world but treasured symbols of Australia. The future of Australian species depends on trees – and your support today. Make a donation to help plant and protect trees and give our beloved native animals like the koala a future. Koalas are most commonly found in the eucalyptus forests that stretch along Australia’s eastern coast, from Queensland’s sun-drenched shores to South Australia’s chilly mountain woodlands. Koalas rely on these lush forests for both food and shelter and feed almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves. They can eat up to 500 grams of leaves per day, using their keen sense of smell to pick out the freshest leaves. But no matter how juicy the leaf, this limiting diet is so low in nutrients that koalas need to spend an incredible amount of time resting. In fact, they can spend up to 20 hours a day doing their most important activity for survival - sleeping. Koalas typically start breeding at two to four years of age. The males use scent glands on their chests to mark their territories and attract female koalas. A koala joey will stay in its mother’s pouch for up to six months, at which point it hitches a ride on her back and begins exploring by itself. At 12 months of age, the joey will reach independence and venture off on its own until it finds its own patch of forest to call home. Sadly, being iconic and symbolic is not enough to save koalas from the threat of extinction. Historically, they were heavily hunted for their fur, leading to significant population declines in the 1900s. While they’re no longer hunted, koalas now face an ever-growing number of threats - from deforestation for agricultural and urban developments to the spread of the deadly koala Chlamydia disease, traffic strikes and dog attacks. In 2022, koalas were listed as Endangered in Qld, NSW and the ACT. The future of this iconic animal depends on us taking urgent action to safeguard them and their forest homes. #koala #koalas #zoo #wildlife #wildanimals #wild #animals #animals #australia #sydney #visitsydney #travelvlog #travel #australia