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Many people love the cute koala bear. This animal has been made into stuffed toys all over the world. But it is rare to see this creature alive and moving, because it’s gradually becoming extinct. This article will give an overview of the koala bear, its living habits and the current war against its extinction.
The koala, like the kangaroo, is actually a marsupial. It contains a small pouch for its young, like the kangaroo. For this reason, the koala is not related to true bears. In appearance, it is a combination of a monkey and a kangaroo. Koalas are native to Australia, although they are now chiefly found in New South Wales and Queensland. They are highly protected animals, because their number has greatly diminished in the last ten years. The koala has been hunted since the middle of this century for fur and food, which has moved it from its normal habitats. Today, anyone fund harming a koala is severely punished by the law.
Koalas get their endearing appearance from a covering of gray fur and little tufts of white hair on the sides of their faces. Their eyes are small and black, set in their head. They have large ears and curved noses, but no tail. They use their arms and paws to climb through the trees. Koalas have interesting living habits. They are nocturnal, which means that they move around chiefly at night. Koalas do not stay on the ground. They move from tree to tree, carefully lowering and raising themselves by their paws. Koalas eat only the leaves of the eucalyptus, which is another reason that they are now becoming extinct. The eucalyptus tree is disappearing from their natural habitats, fighting a battle against extinction all its own. Koalas have a surprisingly long life span, which can range from 9 to 20 years, in rare cases.
The koala’s worst enemy, besides hunters, is fire. When a tree is inflamed, often they cannot run fast enough to save themselves. Baby koalas are in danger around certain kinds of lizards and eagles, although they are protected today by natural habitats set up for them. It is interesting to note that many koalas die from being hit by cars, and some are even attacked by dogs! Their main form of defense is climbing, but they sometimes try to use their paws.
Koalas raise their young in a special way. A cub is usually about one inch at birth, where it lays in the mother’s pouch. It will stay in the pouch for a little over half a year, during which time the mother carries and feeds the baby. At seven weeks, a tiny koala has a head larger than its body, of about 26 millimeters. By 22 weeks, the baby begins to turn in the pouch and kick, occasionally looking out into the natural world. By 24 weeks, the cub is fully covered with fur, and brain development is complete. Teeth are fully formed. At thirty weeks, the cubs climbs out and in of the pouch, clinging to the mother’s belly in agreeable weather. From 37 weeks onward, the baby is independent of the mother, although it will rarely move more than a meter away from her in its first few weeks. Baby koalas are strongly protected by their mothers, and the familial bond is very strong in the koala world. One can tell if a baby is separated from its mother by tiny squeaks of panic.
Because koala bears are so cute and rare, they are often found in zoos, where their natural environment can be maintained. Although they only wake at night, sometimes it is possible to see them moving around at twilight and early morning. During the day, they mainly sleep in trees, but they are fun to watch, nonetheless.
Koalas are in grave danger because of three main threats. Their source of food is depleting, because the eucalyptus is susceptible to loggers, pharmacists and changing weather. The koala’s body chemistry is also delicate, and it is extremely susceptible to diseases and bacteria not native to its environment. Finally, a certain strain of venereal disease is killing off many Australian koalas, causing deformity at birth and short life spans.
The largest force to contribute to koala extinction has been hunting. Koala furs are luxurious and warm, and at one point they were in demand all over the world. In 1924, at least 2.1 million skins were exported from Australia alone! Forest clearance has also depleted the numbers of the koala, and forest fires killed off thousands, especially in the years between 1950 and 1970. Now their greatest enemy is chlamydia, a disease that can also be found in humans. This disease is transmitted by sexual contact, and it has killed over three thousand koalas in the last year.
The war to save koalas has been effective. Their numbers have increased slightly, and actions have been taken to curb contact that will spread venereal deformity. In the next few years, their numbers may rise again, bringing them safely out of the danger zone.
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