Wild Koala Day is an annual observance that takes place on 3rd May. It is a day to celebrate wild koalas and raise awareness about the importance of protecting their habitats. Climate change and deforestation are huge threats to koala populations and well-being. You can celebrate Wild Koala Day by participating in awareness campaigns and activities, and posting on social media. You can also volunteer with wildlife rescuers and support them.
Wild Koala Day will be celebrated on Friday, 3 May 2024.
Interesting Facts About Koalas
Let’s find out more about these iconic animals on Wild Koala Day.
Contrary to popular belief koalas are not bears. They are marsupials and like kangaroos, they have a pouch for their newborns.
At birth, newborns are the size of a jelly bean and are born naked, blind, and earless. These tiny newborns make their way to the mother’s pouch as soon as they are born.
After birth, infants stay in their mother’s pouch for about six months where they grow and develop.
Unlike kangaroos, their pouches open toward the bottom. This allows baby koalas to consume a substance secreted by their mothers which aid in the baby’s digestion.
They have six opposable thumbs.
Koalas are well equipped to comb their fur. They have two toes fused together on each foot which they use for this purpose.
They use their claws and the rough pads on their hands and feet to grab onto branches.
Many koalas carry a sexually transmitted infection (STI) called chlamydia.
They live in the eucalyptus forests of Eastern and Southeastern Australia and rely on the eucalyptus tree for food and habitat.
These Australian tree-dwellers spend almost all of their awake time eating. They can eat over a pound of eucalyptus leaves a day.
Koalas may sleep for up to 22 hours a day. They sleep so much because they get very little energy from their leafy diet and their metabolism is slow.
They don’t drink much water and rely on eucalyptus leaves for moisture.
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