The Baby Koalas are Here
It Doesn’t Get Much Cuter Than This!
It’s Koala Joey Season (baby koalas) and just as we start emerging from lockdown, the timing couldn’t get any better.
After spotting a little head and black nose popping out from the pouch last week, keepers at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane are celebrating the exciting arrival of their first koala joey of the season.
Koala Keeper Karen Nilsson said the joey is only about six months old and is the first of his group to emerge from the pouch.
It doesn’t get much cuter than this!
Credit: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
“He has only just started testing life outside the pouch which means he is rarely out, so we don’t see him very much at this stage,” Ms Nilsson said. “But we will get to know him better as he grows and shares more of his personality.”
Koala joeys start to first peek at the outside word from around March onwards. Following the breeding season between September and March, they develop in their mother’s pouch over several months before finally giving us a glimpse of just how adorable baby koalas are.
This means keepers will begin to see many more joeys appearing over the next few months as part of Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary’s successful koala conservation breeding program.
This news couldn’t come at a better time!
After the devastating bushfires that ravaged Australia, killing and injuring koalas in the thousands … and then news of the novel-coronavirus which has left many of us isolated and hungry for some upbeat news … this news couldn’t come at a better time!
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary are not the only ones celebrating a new addition with Cooberie Park Wildlife Sanctuary near Yeppoon also welcoming a new joey.
The first-time mother named Calypso first revealed the joey’s arm on the 8th of May and only last week allowed the young one out of her pouch to enjoy its first taste of freedom.
“We’re not quite sure if it’s a boy or a girl, however, we’ve chosen ‘Kudos’ as its name,” Cooberrie Park Ranger Kieron Smedley said.
Yes! Travel Restrictions are Starting to Ease!
Now that travel restrictions are starting to ease and many wildlife parks will be re-opening their gates, now is the perfect time to start planning a trip and catch a glimpse of these adorable joeys as they start exploring the world for the first time.
Queensland offers many opportunities to get up close and personal with our favourite fluffy emblem. Check out the Queensland Uncovered Blog for 14 Place You Can Cuddle A Koala In Queensland.
Due to the current health advice on social distancing, please make sure you contact the business before setting out to ensure opening times, operations and services.
We were fortunate enough to visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary last year and although I didn’t spot a baby koala (wrong season), I did get to tick off a bucket list item of cuddling a koala. Check out our blog post on Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
