KOALAS
Koalas aren't bears. They aren't even related to bears. The koala
is a small bear-like, tree-dwelling, herbivorous marsupial with big
ears and a big nose. They eat only Eucalyptus leaves (also known as
gum leaves), and only drinks when ill or times when there is not
enough moisture in the leaves (during droughts etc.).
Koalas are related to the kangaroo, but it's closest living relative is the wombat. Adults reach 25 to 30 inches in length and weigh between 15 to 30 pounds.
A koala cub is blind when it's born, and stays in the mother's pouch for 5 months.
The koala can only live in one place in the world, the East coast of
Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia).
They live and sleep in the eucalyptus trees (sleeping up to
19 hours a day!). Koalas are mostly nocturnal animals and they are
most active during the night and at dawn and dusk, when the hours are
cooler and they are less likely to lose precious moisture and energy
than they would during the hotter daylight hours. Koalas live for 12
to 16 years in the wild, and up to 20 or more years in captivity.
The koala used to be endangered because people would kill the koala for its fur. But now its against the law to kill the koala. Over 2 million koalas were killed between 1908 and 1927. Occasionally koalas are taken by Goannas, Eagles, and Owls. Humans are koala's worst enemies. Dingoes will kill the koala. Now there are 2,000 to 8,000 koalas in the wild ...
The koala's territory is getting smaller because people are cutting down trees and making farms on them. Koalas can only live in this one place in the world and they only eat Eucalyptus leaves.
Koalas in the wild are facing unprecedented pressure as their trees are cleared, existing habitat becomes more vulnerable and isolated and more roads bisect their territories resulting in more koalas being run over.
The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) is the organisation dedicated to ‘saving the koala’. The AKF’s mission is to achieve the long-term conservation of koalas and their habitat and to diminish current and future threats to koalas in the wild.
Established in 1986, the Australian Koala Foundation funds research, educates people about koalas and their needs, raises awareness, and seeks solutions to the problems facing koalas. The AKF’s vision includes a National Koala Act to provide solutions for managing koalas across all land tenures and setting a national standard for mapping koala habitat across its range so that conservation efforts on the ground can be maximised.
Loss of koala habitat is the major threat facing koalas today. Since
white settlement of Australia, roughly 80% of the koala’s habitat has
been destroyed and of what remains, most occurs on privately owned
land. Almost none is protected.
Koalas face threats such as road death, dog attack, disease and bushfire. Many are killed by dogs and cars each year. In the 1920s, approximately 3 million koalas were shot for their fur. Today the koala is a protected species but its habitat is not protected.
The only way to save koalas is to save their habitat, the eucalyptus forests where they live, and which they must have to survive. This is what the Australian Koala Foundation is trying to achieve.
But they can't do it alone and they need the help of people like you. You may think that just one person cannot make any difference in helping koalas or in helping our environment generally, but if each person does even one little thing to help, it can add up to a lot of help.
The Australian Koala Foundation receives no funding from any government so they rely on people like you to help raise funds for their important work in saving koalas for future generations to enjoy.
If you are unable to help in any of these ways, it's very important for the well-being of the environment everywhere in the world, that we all do as much as we can to help in the area where we live, by doing such things as recycling cans, plastic, paper etc, by taking the bus, tram or train instead of using our cars, by using less harmful chemical sprays in our gardens and homes, by asking not to have a plastic bag when we are shopping unless we REALLY need one (or better still, taking our own cloth bags when we go out shopping so that we do not need a plastic one at all) planting more trees, and writing letters to politicians and newspapers to voice our concerns about the destruction of our environment.
There are many people who are working very hard to achieve the conservation of the koala and you can join them by visiting their website. Just click on the link at the bottom of this page.
Another group of people dedication to the conservation of the Koala is the Australian Wildlife Hospital, founded by the Australia Zoo's beloved Steve & Terri Irwin.
Located near Australia Zoo at Beerwah in Queensland, Australia,
the Australian Wildlife Hospital was opened in March 2004, and
was inspired by the memory of Steve's mother, Lyn Irwin, who
was a pioneer in wildlife care in Queensland. It was her dream
to establish a wildlife hospital, and unfortunately this dream
was not realised until after Lyn had passed away.
The Australian Wildlife Hospital and Rescue Unit collects sick, injured and orphaned koalas (and other native Aussie wildlife), and provides care and rehabilitation in a state-of-the-art facility before releasing them back into the wild.
The unit includes a veterinary facility with an intensive care room and laboratory, and separate holding facilities for males and females, and diseased and non-diseased koalas. There is also an orphan enclosure designed specifically to allow hand-raised koalas to develop climbing skills and for less contact with human carers before being released back into the bush.
The Hospital receives nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls each day. Up to
30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, and over 50 koalas
undergo treatment at any given time. Approximately 70% of patients are victims
of car accidents or domestic pet attacks. The cost to treat one animal ranges
from $100 to thousands of dollars. Rescue vehicles and staff are on call 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
Maybe YOU could help in some small way by sending a donation of any size to
the Hospital, c/o the Wildlife Warriors.
But don't be mislead by websites who are attempting to take these much-needed funds under false pretenses! Be sure to visit the OFFICIAL Wildlife Warrior's site by clicking on the link below.
Whether you choose to give to the Australia Koala Foundation OR The Australians Wildlife Hospital, you know you are doing the right thing when you look into the eyes of one of these precious animals!
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