Koala

Koala

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a herbivore native to Australia. In the wild they, on average they live for 20 years and are 9kg heavy, mostly between 60 to 85 cm long. They are currently threatened according to the protection status. It is one of the only animals that can eat and digest a large number of eucalyptus leaves.

Koalas can eat eucalyptus leaves as they have a fiber-digesting organ called a caecum. Humans have a caecum but the koala’s is very long (usually 200cms). It contains millions of bacteria, these break down the fiber in eucalyptus leaves, making them easier to absorb. Though, even though they have these they can still only absorb around 25% out of the leaves they eat. This is why they have to eat such big amounts of eucalyptus leaves. Koalas do not drink very much water as eucalyptus leaves have a lot of moisture in them and because they eat so many of them so they do not need much. Each koala eats about one kilogram of eucalyptus leaves a day, a lot seeing as they are only around 9kg’s heavy.

Koalas only live in eastern Australia because the eucalyptus trees are very widely distributed there. Koalas very rarely leave these trees, even when they are sleeping. Which can be for up to eight-teen hours, where they tuck themselves into forks in the trees.

This Australian mammal is held captive in many zoos in Australia but they take up a lot of space, about 100 meters per animal. Also, koalas need lots of food and are therefor quite a commitment for zookeepers.