The first koala joey for the season is just beginning to take its first peeks from the pouch at Taronga Zoo.
Recently keepers have spotted the joey slowly exploring the outside world and getting a taste for gum leaves.
Koala Keeper, Laura Jones said, “She’s still quite shy, but we’re beginning to see her little face more and more.”
Currently the little joey is six months old and will continue to grain weight and grow out its fluffy fur. It will be another four months before the little joey becomes independent from mum.
Mum Wanda is doing incredibly well with this joey which is her third. Jones said, “Wanda is a very relaxed and attentive mum. She keeps her little one nice and close at all times and I’ve never seen her complain when the joey is scratching around with its claws inside her pouch.”
“It won’t be long before she can’t fit back inside the pouch. At that point she’ll start to cuddle up with mum, only putting her head back inside the pouch to drink,” added Jones.
Currently these iconic marsupials are under threat as a result of forestry which breaks up their natural habitat and urban development. It is also important to watch out for koalas that are travelling around as Jones explained, “The quality of food declines during winter, so potentially you’ll see koalas ranging further and closer to high-density areas to find leaves.”
Photo Credit: Taronga Zoo/ Paul Fahy
