Two new residents have joined Perth Zoo and they’ve got all the koala-fications to be your next favourite animal!
Four-year-old male koala Laurie and two-year-old female koala Mindjil have journeyed from over east to join the Perth Zoo family.
After some quiet behind-the-scenes in the care of our veterinary department, the duo has settled into their new treetop homes in the Australian Bushwalk habitat with fellow koala Wanda.
Now, much to the delight of visitors, all three koalas are doing what koalas do best – munching through endless eucalyptus leaves and snoozing!
Keepers say Mindjil likes to sit right at the top of her tree to enjoy her own personal space, whereas Laurie is more of an adventurer and will come down to say g’day to his carers during feed times.
Laurie and Mindjil arrived as part of Perth Zoo’s role in the regionally coordinated breeding program. It’s hoped these two fluffy marsupials will bring new koala joeys into the world.
While koalas are arguably one of the most iconic Aussie animals, unfortunately they are facing tough times in the wild.
The main threat to koalas is through habitat destruction of their homes and food sources. That’s why recycling is so important! The less we use, the more trees we keep in the ground.
Koala-lovers can come and visit our new residents for FREE using the Perth Zoo Free Pass – this WA Government initiative enables all WA residents the opportunity to claim up to 4 free tickets via the ServiceWA app. Bookings are essential.
FAST FACTS
- Koalas sleep between 18 to 20 hours a day.
- Despite being a Perth Zoo favourite, koalas are not native to WA. In the wild, they’re found in South Australia and throughout bushland in the eastern states.
- In 2022, the status of wild koala populations in QLD, NSW and ACT was uplisted to Endangered – the biggest threat to the species in the wild is habitat loss of their homes and food source.
- Koalas are picky eaters and will only feed on specific types of eucalyptus leaves!