Where does the mainland koala live? Koala is a marsupial bear. Range, habitats

Interested in what continent does the koala live on? Correct answer - Australia.

This lives exclusively on the Green Continent unusual marsupial an animal that looks like a small teddy bear. Interestingly, many people consider the koala to be a bear, but is this true?

The appearance of the koala is unique. A small animal, depending on gender and age, weighs from 7 to 16 kilograms.

The koala's head is wide and large, the nose stands out and has a black back, the eyes are small, and the animal's body is covered with fur.

The color of the koala is gray. The coat is short, thick and soft. Koalas live in Australia, where spend their entire lives in trees.

That is why the paws of this animal are strong, and nails are long and sharp. Phascolarctos (from Greek - “bag”) is the scientific name for the genus of koalas. This name was proposed in 1816 year French zoologist Henri Blainville.

Settlers from Britain who settled Australia in the late 18th century they called the koala a bear, since the appearance of this animal is very similar to the appearance of a clubfoot. To this day, many people, out of habit, classify the koala as a type of bear, but this is wrong.

Interesting fact! 34-24 million years ago, the Phascolarctidae family was quite diverse and included 18 species of marsupial bears. Among them was also the giant Queensland koala Koalemus. It was almost 30 times larger than a modern koala.

Koala is separate species, which is the only one modern representative family Phascolarctidae. It belongs to the basal family of wombats, related to marsupials.

Where does the koala live?

Koala lives on mainland Australia in its southeastern part, as well as on the nearby Australian islands.

Hundreds of years ago This animal lived throughout the continent, but settlers displaced the animal from its habitat.

Indigenous people of Australia very sensitive to this cute little animal.

Legend has it that the ancestor of the modern koala, who was gigantic in size, helped people get to the mainland.

There is a beast in subtropical rain forests Australia. The preferred habitat of koalas are locations near water where eucalyptus grows. The koala feeds exclusively on eucalyptus leaves.

Almost all my life This “bear” spends time in the crowns of this plant. The animal descends from the trees only to find another secluded place.

It is important to know! When koalas are kept in captivity and are forced to eat eucalyptus leaves, this can threaten the animal with poisoning.

The daily intake of eucalyptus, which is eaten by a koala, contains a toxic compound(hydrocyanic acid) in such quantities that could become instant poison for any other animal. Zoologists suggest that it is precisely because of this that the koala is not a potential prey for predators.

They choose habitats for koalas in the crowns of eucalyptus trees, which grow on fertile soils. Their leaves contain less poison, but you need to find useful plant helps the animal well-developed sense of smell. The daily requirement of eucalyptus leaves for a koala is 1 kg, and this animal practically does not consume water.

Characteristic features and lifestyle of the animal

There are a number of features of the koala that highlight it significantly even from endemics of Australia.

Firstly, papillary fingerprint pattern Koalas are practically no different from humans.

Another feature of the koala is that even a huge koala cub is always born the size of bean grain and weighs 6 grams.

First cub long period is in mother's pouch, and then climbs onto the mother’s back.

Since the koala lives in fairly quiet places where there are no arboreal predators, its movements are smooth and calm. Koala sleeps on eucalyptus branches up to twenty hours a day.

Interesting fact! The sedentary lifestyle of the koala is explained by the fact that the metabolism of this animal is quite slow. That is why koalas are able to remain motionless for three to four hours.

It is also interesting that, despite a fairly relaxed lifestyle, in life-threatening moments, these animals capable of jumping quickly and nimbly.

Koala conservation in Australia

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the koala, like the platypus, exterminated for fur.

Only for 1924 More than two million skins of this animal were exported from the eastern territories of Australia.

When the number of koalas decreased noticeably, and this happened by 1927, the country’s authorities prohibited from exterminating this beast.

The koala population is starting to bounce back only in the middle of the 20th century, although today this animal has a lower risk status and is considered endangered.

Threats to koala reproduction today include deforestation, fires and ticks. Most comfortable conditions for koalas to live - these are the Kounu (Perth) and Lone Pine (Brisbane) koala parks. Protects koalas throughout the country international organization entitled Australian Koala Foundation.

Australia is a territory of unique marsupial animals, including one of the most popular animals is a koala. A sedentary lifestyle, a strict eucalyptus diet and an appearance resembling soft toy, made this representative Australian fauna famous throughout the world.

In conclusion, we invite you to look at a few funny videos about cute marsupial bears:

Koalas are small, dense animals, whose height ranges from 60 to 85 cm, and their weight is 5-16 kg. The head of these animals is large, the muzzle is flat. The eyes are small and widely spaced. The ears are rounded, shaggy and large, always listening, alert. The paws of koalas are well adapted for clinging and climbing, the index and thumb They are opposed to the others; they are convenient for grasping branches. The tail of the animal is quite small, almost invisible.

Koala fur is thick and soft, its color depends on the animal’s habitat, so it can be gray, reddish or red. The fur on the belly is always lighter than on the back. The most prominent part of the animal's body is its claws. They are quite powerful. Having stuck them into a tree, the koala will not fall, even if he falls asleep (and they sometimes sleep up to twenty hours a day). Koalas are phlegmatic animals; they can sit on a tree for hours, only occasionally turning their heads. Often an equally imperturbable baby sits on the mother’s back. These funny animals are usually silent, but the males emit a loud calling call that can be heard at a distance of a kilometer during the breeding season.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Koalas inhabit eucalyptus forests, spending almost their entire lives on the treetops. Animals sleep during the day, sitting comfortably on branches, and at night they climb trees in search of food. Koalas descend to the ground only to move to another tree, which they cannot jump to (although koalas jump, surprisingly, confidently and easily). These slow and phlegmatic animals flee to an energetic gallop to escape, quickly climbing the nearest eucalyptus tree.

The slowness of koalas is associated with their feeding habits. Animals have adapted to eat only eucalyptus leaves and shoots, which contain little protein, but many terpene and phenolic compounds (they are poisonous to most animals). Closer to autumn, hydrocyanic acid accumulates in young shoots. Thanks to poisonous properties plants, food competition among koalas is extremely low.

Koalas choose to eat only those types of eucalyptus that contain fewer phenolic compounds, and also prefer trees growing on fertile soil. Of the 800 species of eucalyptus, marsupial bears feed on only 120 species. A developed sense of smell allows koalas to choose suitable food. Every day the animal eats up to 1.1 kg of leaves, which it chews thoroughly and accumulates the green mass in its cheek pouches.

Koalas get all their moisture from eucalyptus leaves and dew on them. Animals drink water only during periods of prolonged drought, as well as during illness. To compensate for the deficiency of minerals, these animals eat nutritious soil from time to time. The most common diseases of koalas: cystitis, conjunctivitis, periostitis of the skull, sinusitis.

Reproduction

Females stick to their areas and lead a solitary lifestyle, rarely leaving their place of residence. Male koalas are not territorial, but when they meet, they often attack each other (especially during the breeding season) and cause injury.

The mating season lasts from October to February. Animals gather in groups, which consist of several females and one male (since much fewer males are born). During this period, males make loud calls and rub their chests against trees, leaving marks. Mating between animals occurs in trees.

The female's pregnancy lasts on average 30-35 days. There is only one cub in the litter. At birth, the baby has a body length of up to 18 mm and a body weight of about 6 grams. The baby is carried by the koala in a pouch for up to six months. Then he travels for the same amount of time on his mother’s back, clinging to the fur and feeding on milk. At 30 weeks of age, the baby koala begins to eat its mother's liquid excrement. At the age of one year, he becomes independent and goes in search of sites (often staying with his mothers until he is three years old).

Koalas breed once every year or two. Sexual maturity in males occurs at 3-4 years, in females - at 2-3 years. These animals live on average 13 years.

Classification

Family: Koalas (Phascolarctos)

Squad: Two-incisor marsupials

Suborder: Vombatiformes

Class: Mammal

Type: Chordata

Dimensions: length - 71–82 cm; weight - 5–14 kg

Lifespan: 13-18 years old

The koala, whose photo makes everyone smile, looks like a small bear. Almost everyone knows what this funny and cute animal looks like.

The lop-eared, shaggy animal with a bizarre appearance was first discovered at the beginning of the 19th century in Australia.

In August 1803, the first article about koalas was published in an Australian newspaper, which began their worldwide popularity.

Etymology

The genus name Phascolarctos comes from the Greek phaskolos, meaning "bag", and arktos, meaning "bear".

Literally translated, Phascolarctos sounds like “marsupial bear.” Because of its fur color, the species was given the name cinereus, which translates as “ashy.”

The koala has nothing in common with the bear family, since it is the only representative of Phascolarctos.

But due to their external similarity with the first ones, they received the name koala bear. Outside Australia, this species name is very common, although it is incorrect.

The marsupial bear is very similar in appearance to the wombat, which also lives in Australia.

The animal differs from its closest relatives in having thicker hair, longer limbs and big ears

History of the species

The closest relatives of the animal are considered to be , which also belongs to the order of two-incisor marsupials (you can see what a wombat looks like in the photo above).

The marsupial bear is very similar in appearance to the wombat, which also lives on Australian mainland. The animal differs from its closest relatives in having thicker hair, long limbs and large ears.

Naturalists claim that approximately 34-24 million years ago there were about 18 species of marsupial bears. Modern look The koala is much younger and appeared about 15 million years ago.

Habitat

The koala is distributed throughout almost all of Australia and the surrounding islands. The animal is not found only in Tasmania.

The marsupial bear also does not live in the Western part of the country, although its remains are found here. He prefers to live in tropical forests in the south and east of the mainland.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the species was completely exterminated in South Australia, but then artificially restored.

The animal chooses exclusively eucalyptus forests with sufficient moisture as its habitat.

Koalas are individualists: they prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle and are active at night. Males mark their territory by rubbing a fluid they secrete into the bark of trees.

Koala eating

Characteristic

The koala bear has the following parameters:

• The body weight of the animal varies between 5-14 kg and depends on gender and habitat. Males are larger than females. Among them, the largest representatives live in the southern part of the country. Females living in the north, as a rule, do not gain more than 5 kilograms.

Interesting!The extinct species Koalemus could reach a weight of about 400 kg, which is 28 times more mass modern Phascolarctos.

• The inhabitant of eucalyptus forests does not grow more than 82 cm in length. The average length of the body is 71 cm. The number of teeth in the species is 30.
• Females have only 2 nipples, which are located inside the pouch.
• Degeneration occurred during evolution marsupial: the weight of the brain is no more than 0.2% of the total body weight, while the cranial cavity is approximately half filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Biologists associate this fact with the plant foods consumed, which are poor in nutrients.

The animal has sharp claws that allow it to easily move through trees.

Appearance

Sharp claws on the paws allow the animal to easily move through the trees. The cubs use their prehensile claws to hold tightly to their mother's fur.

The front paws have five toes, two of which are large. They are slightly set aside from the other three.

This anatomical structure allows you to firmly grasp the trunk and branches of a tree. The animal is capable of hanging on a tree for a long time, holding on with only one paw.

The koala's paw has two thumbs

Interesting!The pattern on the fingertips of a marsupial bear is identical to that of a human. It is sometimes impossible to detect the difference even with the help of a special microscope.

The animal's large head has large, round ears covered with thick fur. The muzzle is slightly flattened, with a large black nose and small eyes prominent on it.

The thick fur has a shade between ash and gray. The belly and neck are characterized by a lighter shade, and the back of the paws are black.

Males are endowed with a forked phallus, and females with two vaginas and uteruses. Such anatomical feature characteristic only of marsupials.

The koala's tail is similar to a bear's: just as small and short.

The koala prefers to sleep on a tree, wrapping its tenacious paws around the trunk. The photo shows what a sleeping marsupial bear looks like

Key Features

• The koala prefers to sleep on a tree, wrapping its tenacious paws around the trunk.
• The animal moves very slowly and starts running quickly only in case of danger.
• Koalas' metabolism is two times slower than that of other mammals. The exceptions are sloths and wombats.
• Despite the fact that the animal prefers most time to be on the tree, it floats quite well. Their fur repels water and can protect against temperature changes.
• The cecum of an individual of this species is very developed and can reach a length of more than 2 meters. This is where the process of digesting food occurs.
• Koala meat is inedible for predators, as it has a pronounced eucalyptus smell.
• The koala bear is susceptible to many diseases.
• The source of moisture for the animal is succulent eucalyptus leaves and dew. Representatives of marsupials consume water only during periods of drought.
• The process of mating of individuals occurs directly on the tree.
• A frightened or injured koala is capable of making sounds similar to the cry of a child.

Health

Kola is vulnerable to disease: it is often overtaken by diseases such as conjunctivitis, sinusitis, cystitis and periostitis of the skull.

Sinusitis often leads to the development of pneumonia, which can result in the death of the animal. Average age(15 years) determined only by animals living in zoos.

Koala poses for a photo at the zoo

Nutrition

The koala bear feeds exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and shoots.

Interesting!Eucalyptus contains toxic substances that are toxic to the animal. But thanks to work they are neutralized by the liver and do not cause harm to health.

Of the 800 species of eucalyptus trees, the marsupial bear chooses for food only 120, which are less toxic. A well-developed sense of smell helps him identify less poisonous trees.

To avoid the cumulative effect toxic substances in the body, the animal changes appearance eucalyptus tree, consumed as food.

The animal requires 500-1000 grams of plant food per day. He prefers to eat juicier leaves, which are able to provide the body with the necessary fluid by 90%.

The koala bear needs additional sources of moisture only during periods of drought or illness.

The marsupial bear hunts for food exclusively at night

Lifestyle

The koala forages for food after dark. During the day, the animal sits on a tree and chews leaves, which it managed to put behind its cheeks during prey, or sleeps with one paw hooked on a branch.

This species of the marsupial family, however, prefers a passive lifestyle. Koalas remain practically motionless for up to 18-20 hours a day, sitting on a tree.

They descend to the ground only in rare cases when they cannot jump to a neighboring tree.

The phlegmatic nature of the animal is explained by its diet, which includes plant food, poor in protein content.

Marsupials are silent, except during mating periods, when males attract females by screaming. Koalas also use their “voice” in times of danger.

IN wildlife the species has no enemies, with the exception of the dingo dog, which can hunt herbivorous animals if it is very hungry. Other predators do not eat koalas due to their high toxicity.

The koala bear prefers a solitary lifestyle, excluding the mating period. At this time, males often attack each other when meeting.

During mating, individuals gather in groups of several females and one male.

Reproduction

During mating (October-February), adults gather in groups containing several females and only one male (see photo above).

This is due to the fact that the population of males is much smaller.

Interesting!Females choose to mate more than major representatives, while focusing on the smell and cry of the male, which can be heard almost a kilometer away.

Females bear the fetus for 30-35 days. Most often, there is only one cub in a litter and occasionally twins.

At birth, the baby weighs just over 5 grams, and the body length barely reaches 15-18 millimeters. He is born completely blind and bald. You can see what a baby koala looks like in the photo below.

Baby marsupial bear

For 6 months, the female is in close contact with the cub, carrying it in a pouch, where it develops and feeds on milk. Six months later, the baby crawls out of the pouch, moving onto the mother’s back.

Its food becomes the excrement of the mother, which contains semi-digested eucalyptus leaves and essential microorganisms for digestion.

Thus, in the intestines of the small koala appear beneficial bacteria, helping to cope with the digestion of rough food.

Up to a year, the cubs stay on the female, wandering from the back to the stomach. hold on little bear Sharp, tenacious claws help.

Photo of a female koala with her baby

The female is with the cub from 1 to 3 years old. Young females become independent by the age of 1 year, while males can remain with their mother for up to 2-3 years.

Females become sexually mature individuals by the age of 2-3 years; in males, sexual maturity occurs at 3-4 years of age.

The female brings offspring once every 1-2 years.

Relationships with people and population status

Trusting and good-natured bears at the beginning of the 20th century became the object of hunting by hunters who killed the animal because of its thick fur, comparable in value to a fur coat or. As a result, the species was practically exterminated in South Australia.

The government banned koala hunting, and the population was restored by the mid-20th century.

Despite the fact that the species is not in danger of extinction from poachers, the number of koalas in some habitats is declining. This is due to massive deforestation, fires, and diseases to which they are susceptible.

Marsupials are not afraid of humans, and are very friendly towards them. They are very easy to tame and love affection.

In captivity, eucalyptus bears become very attached to the people who care for them, and even begin to feel sad when they are left alone.

Koalas become attached to humans

Breeding in captivity

In captivity, the koala breeds in specialized parks whose activities are aimed at preserving the population. There are several koala parks in Australia.

Marsupial bears in Koala Park

Breeding and keeping this species in captivity is fraught with some difficulties.

This is primarily due to the specifics of their lifestyle and food, which is very difficult to diversify in artificial conditions.

Only the zoos of Australia and San Diego in California managed to achieve suitable conditions for koalas. In any case, animals are better off in natural environment a habitat.

Koala: A marsupial from Australia

Koala: photo, description of the species, main characteristics. Characteristics marsupials and lifestyle, as well as the relationship of the koala with people.

04/26/2016 at 13:13 Moscow time 6 626

Koala animal or as they used to call it marsupial bear, the only representative of its kind. He received comparisons with him due to his resemblance to the plush creature.

Its striking appearance brings it closer to a soft toy. The body of the animal is not large, its weight reaches 12 - 13 kg, with a height of 71 cm.

The koala has a flattened muzzle, impressive ears, covered with thick fur. A black, smooth, elongated nose can boast of its lack of hair.

The bamboo eyes are small in diameter and round in shape. The color is dark brown. The color of the fur coat can be ashy and even reddish, but it itself is short. The fur on the belly is lighter.

Another one distinguishing feature The animal koala is a tail, barely noticeable on the body. The claws are sharp on the front paws - curved, the thumb and forefinger are spread out, which makes it easier to climb trees well, but they are absent on the toes of the hind feet. They swim great. They can even gallop to the desired object if they are unable to jump.

Koalas are constantly on the tree trunk. Much of the time they sleep or simply chew leaves. Bamboo bear can be found directly in tropical forests. They inhabit the continent of Australia, mainly its southern and eastern region. They are endemic. That is, you will not see them anywhere else.

The Australian koala bear appeared more than 15 million years ago, but extermination at the beginning of the last century reduced the population, now you can’t find them in the West of the country

Many islands are inhabited artificially, transported from Victoria. Koala animals live near the coast, which dispels the popular myth that they do not drink water.

Nutrition

As mentioned above, the koala lives in eucalyptus plantations, and eats bark and greens containing toxic substances (fenoterols, hydrocyanic acid).

Endowed with a special sense of smell, mammals find young shoots where the level of toxicity is reduced. The microflora in the koala animal's stomach even copes with cellulose; the liver absorbs and processes toxic waste.

This, of course, does not exclude the possibility of poisoning, but still the risks are minimal. Receiving up to 90% of moisture from the leaves, the animals still come down to drink. Sometimes a koala may eat the ground to make up for the deficiency of important components.

The animal leads a solitary lifestyle and Fewer males are born. During mating games from October to February they gather in groups. For one male there are 3-4 females. They choose the strongest by smell. Fertilization occurs once every few years.

Bears offspring for a month and there is one, rarely a pair of cubs in the litter. Up to six months, a newborn koala eats breast milk and travels in mom's bag, which opens into reverse side. After 7 months, eucalyptus pulp is added to the diet, which enters the baby’s body through the mother’s excrement. By the age of one year the baby becomes independent.

Enemies

Peace-loving animals do not have them. The meat of the koala animal is saturated with poisons, so predators are in no hurry to taste it. Except maybe dingoes.

People used to hunt, and many skins were transported to the east. Because of their gullibility, they were a good target. Sedentary image, just 6 hours of wakefulness makes them terribly phlegmatic. Natural disasters - droughts, fires - contribute to extinction.

The koala is a marsupial animal that lives on average 13 years; there are also old-timers - 20 years. They are susceptible to eye diseases, respiratory system, genitourinary, which shortens their period.

The koala animal is listed in the Red Book. To ensure growth occurs under natural conditions, reserves have been created even in California (San Diego).

1. Fingerprints are similar to human prints and cannot be distinguished even under a microscope.
2. When they are depressed, they make sounds similar to a baby crying.
3. The marsupial bear dies in fires without running away, they only hold on tighter to the tree trunk.
4. The brain of the beast is only 0.2% by mass.
5. But they can be tamed and become attached to humans.
6. They have an unusual structure of the genital organs, two pairs each in the female and male.

If there were a popularity contest among animals, the koala would undoubtedly take one of the prizes. The appearance of this mammal is touching, because it looks so much like a small teddy bear!

Koala, or marsupial bear (Phascolarctos cinereus).

The appearance of this animal is quite unusual. Its coat is short and thick, usually smoky gray in color with a lighter belly, sometimes with a brownish tint. The eyes are small and look slightly blind, but the ears are relatively large, widely spaced, with long hair at the edges. The koala's large, leathery nose is flattened. His tail is typically “bearish” - short and almost invisible, but the claws on his paws are very long and curved.

Because of this appearance Many people classify koalas as bears.

In fact, they belong to the order of Marsupials and are in no way, even distantly, related to bears. And the koala is alone in its group, because it is represented by only one species, and only the wombat can be considered its “cousin”. The marsupial bear is endemic to Australia, which means that it lives only on this continent and nowhere else. The typical habitats of koalas are eucalyptus forests, with which these animals are connected by an unbroken food chain.

Koalas feed exclusively on eucalyptus leaves.

Interestingly, eucalyptus leaves contain greater or lesser concentrations of hydrocyanic acid, which is poisonous to any animal. Koalas are less sensitive to its effects than other animals, but this does not mean that they cannot be poisoned. It’s just that in different seasons of the year they choose those types of eucalyptus in which the content of hydrocyanic acid is lower this moment minimal. There are known cases of poisoning of koalas when they were deprived of the opportunity to change the source of food. There is another prejudice associated with the diet of koalas. It is believed that these animals never drink. Allegedly, the word “koala” itself comes from this feature, which in the Aboriginal language means “non-drinker.” Previously, this statement was so widespread that it even penetrated the pages of academic publications. But in fact, koalas, although infrequently, still drink water.

The photographer caught a rare moment when a koala decided to “get its throat wet” in a country pool.

Marsupial bears spend most of their time in trees: there they sleep, eat and breed.

These animals rarely descend to the ground, only to move to the next thicket of eucalyptus.

In modern Australia, where highways cut through eucalyptus forests, koalas often die under the wheels of cars while trying to cross the highway.

A koala walks busily along the road, apparently on very important business.

By nature, these mammals are very slow and phlegmatic.

Most of the time they sleep or simply sit motionless on trees; in search of food, they slowly climb branches and also slowly chew leaves.

Even in their sleep, marsupial bears manage to maintain their balance and never fall from branches.

Koalas are not fertile. They reproduce once every two years. Males climb to the tops of trees and fill the surrounding area with a roar that is unexpectedly low and loud for an animal of this size. Like all marsupials, pregnancy is short (30-35 days), females give birth to underdeveloped cubs weighing only 5 g. Usually one, or less often two, cubs are born.

Female marsupial bear with cub.

Their further development occurs in the mother's pouch, which, unlike other marsupials, opens backwards.

The grown cub climbs onto the mother's back.

After 6 months of milk feeding, the cubs switch to feeding... no, not eucalyptus leaves, as you thought! They consume the excrement of the mother, whose body during this period secretes a pulp from semi-digested leaves. This is due to the fact that koalas consume a large number of roughage, so bacteria live in their intestines to help them cope with such indigestible food. For a newborn the only way acquiring useful microflora is the only way. Babies are very attached to their mother and in captivity they often “cry” when left alone. By the way, koalas are silent and usually do not make any sounds. Only a wounded or abandoned koala begins to scream, and this cry really resembles the cry of a baby.

Young koalas love to sit, clinging to their fellow koalas like a train—a friend’s shoulder makes them feel more confident.

In the trees, koalas have neither food competitors nor enemies, but on the ground they are sometimes attacked by domestic dogs or dingoes. However, predators do not eat the meat of marsupial bears due to the strong eucalyptus odor. Despite this, koalas are not immune to trouble. These are sickly animals: both in nature and in captivity, they are susceptible to conjunctivitis and colds, and often die from complications. It is also difficult to treat marsupial bears because they do not tolerate anesthesia well. These animals are friendly and easy to tame. In captivity, koalas show touching affection for their caregiver, which is quite unexpected, because in general they are no different high level intelligence.

The marsupial bear Alinja is being weighed at the Duisburg Zoo (Germany). You can often leave a small koala alone by offering him “ surrogate mother- some kind of soft toy that he could hold on to.

Such cute habits leave no one indifferent, and koalas are deservedly popular among both adults and children. In zoos, koalas attract crowds of enthusiastic observers near their enclosures; they are a favorite object for making souvenirs and children's toys. But it was not always so. At the beginning of the twentieth century, they were intensively hunted. Although koalas are not suitable for the role of an honorary trophy, because hunting them is no more difficult than shaking apples, they were killed en masse for the sake of their thick, pleasant-to-touch fur. As a result, the population of these animals decreased to a critical size, and only after that people came to their senses and began breeding them in captivity. Breeding koalas in captivity is not an easy task. The main difficulty is that in zoos it is difficult to provide koalas with natural food - fresh leaves eucalyptus. Therefore, koalas are kept mainly in zoos located in areas with mild climates, where it is possible to grow eucalyptus trees in open ground. Best of luck Zoos in Australia and San Diego (California) have achieved success in breeding these animals.

Jimmy the Koala is caught off guard by the photographer.

Koala numbers are still at undesirably low levels. Of course, nowadays no one would think of shooting koalas on the collar. But the danger lies elsewhere. Due to the densely populated areas, koalas have less and less natural habitats, and man-made pressure is constantly increasing. Often, due to human fault, fires occur in eucalyptus forests (already dry and waterless). There is simply no escape for slow-moving koalas in the fire.

The burnt corpse of a koala looks like a toy thrown away as unnecessary.

The only thing we can hope for is the timely work of special rescue teams. During massive fires, they patrol forests and provide assistance to injured animals. There are several large rehabilitation centers, where comprehensive veterinary supervision is carried out. We can only hope that people’s efforts will lead to the long-awaited result and that “teddy bears” will not be in danger of extinction in the future.

This marsupial bear was lucky. Veterinarians from the rehabilitation center came to his aid.