rces and expertise in wildlife management or habitat assessment.
One of the quintessential features of koalas, apart from their two opposable thumbs on each hand and razor-sharp claws, is their creamy grey fur. Koalas in the southern part of Australia have thicker hair than their northern counterparts to help keep them warm during the colder winters. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that people used to kill koalas in large numbers to obtain their fur. Today, hunting koalas is illegal, as they are an endangered species. Still, deforestation, both through fires and cutting down forests for human development, puts the creatures at high risk. It is also a challenge to police hunting koalas.
There have been over eight million koalas killed for the fur trade. Their pelts were shipped to London, the United States, and Canada. The koala was hunted as a matter of routine by the early settlers and explorers. The koala’s dense, waterproof pelt made it a valuable commodity on the international fur market, and demand increased accordingly. The koala had been hunted so indiscriminately that it had disappeared from many of its natural habitats. The poor animals were mainly poisoned and trapped as those methods did the least damage to the animal’s desired fur. During this time, the koalas narrowly escaped extinction.
6. Chlamydia Is Also Threatening Koala Populations
As many as 50 to 90% of female koalas today have chlamydia, and the disease affects koalas more than many other species. Clinics in Australia are working year-round to help koalas suffering from it, but one of its side effects – infertility – could permanently inhibit koala populations. Veterinarians in Australia have their hands full tending to koalas who have chlamydia. Each vet can treat hundreds of koalas per year, but they can barely make a dent in the broad population infected with the disease. Their best hope is to inoculate koalas against chlamydia before they become infertile.
It has been known that some antibiotics produce severe side effects in koalas with chlamydia. The main side effect is that the antibiotics disrupt the gut microbes that enable the digestion of eucalyptus leaves, the dietary staple for koalas. However, recently researchers are looking into two new antibiotic treatments that may offer relief to the furry animal with minimal side effects. Although it is unclear exactly why koalas are so vulnerable to this disease, it is well-known how detrimental it can be to their health. Although there were some side effects with the new antibiotics, they were much less severe compared to what has been known.
The majority of animals have varying gestation periods. Some are very short, while others are relatively lengthy. Baby koalas are also known as joeys. You might be shocked to learn that joeys are delivered while they are still in the embryonic stage of development. At this time, they might only weigh half a gram. At birth, they look a little funny in comparison to what you might expect. You might imagine that they would be tiny, cute, smaller versions of their adult selves. However, they look incredibly opposite of that. In fact, if you saw a koala joey, you may not even be able to identify what it is.
The koala joeys then take up residence in their mother’s pouch for up to six months. During this time, their main goal is to gain weight and develop into maturity. After a full month in the mother’s pouch, they still are only less than half an inch in length. Once the first six months are up, the baby koala joeys transfer from their mother’s pouch onto their mother’s back. Once there, they will spend another six months being carried around on their mother’s back. They will only go back into their mother’s pouch for nap times and feedings. Altogether, it is well over a year of gestation to fully develop and grow into adult size.
We have talked a little bit about a koala’s diet and how it is primarily eucalyptus leaves. Unlike most animals, koalas have a minimal diet and are extremely picky eaters. It might be surprising to wrap your head around how koalas 