That's a lot of work, though, which is why koalas spend so much time snoozing. And many have their own preferences, only eating a select few.Įucalyptus is poisonous to other species, but specialized bacteria in a koala's digestive tract allows it to break down the toxins. There are more than 700 kinds of eucalyptus, but koalas can only eat a fraction of them. Shipments come in twice a week to Columbus and the zoo also maintains a greenhouse of eucalyptus trees as a backup supply. Zoos in temperate climates must ship eucalyptus from warmer areas like Florida or Arizona, which can get pricey, McCauley said. Koalas are notoriously picky eaters, surviving exclusively on a diet of eucalyptus leaves both in their native ranges of Australia and in human care. Zoos must sign an agreement with the Australian government to house the species and are required to follow specific requirements related to their care. The group includes more than 230 accredited institutions in the U.S. Koalas are fairly rare in captivity, with just nine facilities caring for a total of 53 animals in North America, according to the nonprofit Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Both he and Katy were born at the San Diego Zoo in 2015 and have lived in Columbus since late 2017. But until the joey emerges, caring for it is fairly hands-off, McCauley said. Keepers monitor cues from the animals and observe them carefully so they're prepared if a female becomes pregnant. "As easy as that sounds, a lot goes into it," McCauley said. The birth required careful planning, as keepers only put male and female koalas together to breed when the female is receptive to it.
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It's also just the third baby born since the zoo started housing koalas in 1991. This is the first time the zoo has welcomed a baby koala in 15 years. "I find myself staring at Katy whenever I'm in the building, just hoping to see that stray arm or leg out of the pouch." "It's the first time I've been privileged to see a koala joey in person, and knowing how much work it took to get us here makes it that much sweeter," said McCauley, who has worked full-time for the zoo since 2008. Katrina McCauley, assistant curator of the zoo's Australia and the Islands region, said she's proud of her team's thrilling achievement. Occasionally, it stretches a tiny arm or leg far enough outside for guests to see. Once the size of just a jellybean, the baby is now about the size of softball, has opened its eyes and is starting to move. It isn't expected to fully emerge until mid-March. She gave birth July 5, but because she's a marsupial, the little joey has been developing inside a pouch on her abdomen for the past six months.
So soon the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's female koala, Katy, will have some company in her habitat. More: A 'Christmas miracle:' Columbus Zoo's 3 giraffe calves a rare featīut occasionally, they do find time to mate. And when they aren't sleeping, the furry, two-foot marsupials are usually eating eucalyptus leaves off the trees they call home.
The solitary animals live alone, spending most of their time - about 15-20 hours a day - sleeping. Koalas may have perfected the life of quarantine long before it became a necessity in 2020.
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