Koalas. They’re small and furry and sleep 23 hours a day. That’s one hour a day they don’t spend snoozing up in a tree. Although koalas are native to Australia, you can see them in many zoos around the world. Not all zoos have them though, because koalas are very expensive to maintain. It costs $30,000 a year per koala. Did you know that koalas eat almost nothing but eucalyptus leaves? This makes them a herbivore and explains why they’re so pricey to keep.
Although koalas are often referred to as bears, they are actually not a part of the bear family, but marsupials. You can tell by their pouch where they nurse their joeys (baby koalas). Joeys stay in their mother’s pouch until they are old enough to ride on her back or belly. Koalas can live up to 20 years and weigh an average of 20 pounds. They can grow up to 85 cm tall. I know that sounds big, but believe me, it’s not. Next to a six-foot man, they are only up to the knees.
Many people don’t know this, but koalas are threatened animals. These furry creatures were frequently hunted during the 1920s and 1930s and their population plummeted. But with a little help from humans, they were reintroduced into the wild and have reappeared in most of their former habitats. The critical problem now is that Australian’s woodland is being destroyed every day. We don’t have to stand by and watch, though. You can help by donating to websites like Save the Koalas. So don’t just stand there! If we work together, we can bring the Koalas back!
Until next time,
The Creature Helper