The Koala Bear is a unique marsupial that lives in Australia. They are the country’s national symbol and are loved around the world for their adorable and distinctive appearance.The Koala bear is not actually a bear. They are closely related to Kangaroos. So let’s join Agarwood Journey to learn about koala bears and their lives in the wild.
I. Where do Koala bears come from?1. Origin and area where Koala bears live
We often call Koala a bear. But they are a herbivorous marsupial that lives in Australia. They are the only living animals in the family Phascolarctidae.
The koala bear (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a marsupial in the family Phascolarctidae. They have a compact shape with an average size of 60-85 cm and weight of about 4-15 kg. The koala bear’s fur is usually silver gray mixed with white on the belly and chest, helping them blend into their natural habitat.Newly born koala babies will be raised in their mother’s pouch until they are fully developed and mature.
The koala bears are found along the east and south coasts of the main island. But to be precise in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and southern Australia.
2. From a biological perspective
Koala has a body length of about 60-85 cm, weighing about 12-15kg. This is one of the rare animals that does not need to drink water. They seem to have evolved to avoid being hunted by predators in places like rivers and streams.
Female koala bears are mature enough to reproduce at around 2 to 3 years of age. And there are males at the age of 3- 4. On average, a healthy koala bear can give birth to one cub per year for 12 years. The pregnancy cycle is 35 days.Koala bears very rarely give birth to twins. Males and females usually mate between December and March, which corresponds to summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Little Koala babies stay in their mother’s pouch for the first 6 months or so. They only drink mother’s milk and during this time they will develop ears, eyes, and fur. After a while, they will go out and eat the thick food secreted by their mother.
After another 6 months, the bears climbed onto their mother’s back to drink milk and eat leaves. And after another 12 months of staying with their mother, the koala bear will go out to find food on its own and continue to go with its mother until it is 2-3 years old.
The only food that Koala bears eat is the leaves of the eucalyptus tree, also known as the eucalyptus tree. Eucalyptus leaves contain poison, but only this species of bear can digest these leaves. Their bodies contain a part called ‘cecum’, which helps them digest this type of leaf without any harm.
II. Origin of the name Koala – “No drink”
In the Aboriginal language, ‘Koala’ means ‘No drinks’ because they rarely drink water. Many people always believe that koalas keep moisture in their bodies from eating leaves. And the name also comes from their behavior.
The scientific name of the Koala bear is Phascolarctos cinereus. The Greek word for koala means koala (phaskolos arktos) and is shaped like ash (cinereus) because its fur resembles ash, researchers said.
III. Interesting facts about Koala bears
1. The smallest brain among mammals
One of their interesting features is that they have very small brains. They have a brain-to-body ratio of only about 2% and are the smallest of all mammals.
Not only does it have extremely small proportions, it also has an extremely modest weight: It weighs only about 19.2g and only accounts for about 60% of the skull. And it can also be said that their brains are very “flat”.
The koala bear is mainly active at night. They sleep during the day and stay awake at night to search for food. In fact, their sleep time lasts up to 22 hours, so they will not have night or day. When it wakes up after having had enough sleep, it will start looking for food.
Why do they sleep so much? It’s probably due to a lack of nutrition from eucalyptus leaves. Most of their energy is used to digest that type of leaf. Therefore, this lovely animal limits its movements and sleeps a lot during the day.
And around the world, researchers have shown that Koala bears need to eat 2000 eucalyptus leaves in one meal to maintain their body activity. One of their meals takes 100 to 200 hours to digest. So sleeping is the way they save energy.
IV. Koala bear extinction risk
Currently in the world, the rate of decline in individuals of Koala bears is a matter of great concern in Australia. In recent years, at least 80% of this type of bear has disappeared due to climate change on Earth or caused by humans. The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) has warned that we currently have only 80,000 individuals left, and certainly not enough adult female bears to produce the next litter. This poor animal is on the brink of extinction.
Even after the recent forest fire disaster in Australia, it has caused very serious consequences. The number of Koalas in the forest has further declined because they have been burned, heat-stressed or have lost their habitat. The trembling and pitiful ones sat hugging tree stumps waiting for the fire to pass. They also run into the streets to ask for water from humans, images that make people feel sad and worried about the consequences of the forest fires in Australia.
