Koala

The koala is a soft, round animal with fluffy ears, a big black nose, and no real tail. Koalas live in Australia, high up in eucalyptus trees. Their strong paws and sharp claws are perfect for gripping branches, so they can climb and rest safely above the ground.

People often call the koala a koala bear, but it is not a bear at all. It is a marsupial, which is a kind of animal that carries its baby in a pouch. Koalas are cousins of the wombat.

Koalas eat mostly eucalyptus leaves. These leaves are tough and do not give much energy, and they even have parts that would make other animals feel sick. Because their food gives so little energy, koalas take life very slowly and sleep for up to twenty hours a day, tucked into the fork of a tree.

A baby koala is called a joey. When it is born it is tiny and pink, smaller than a jellybean. The joey crawls into its mother’s pouch and stays there, warm and safe, for about six months while it grows. After that it rides on its mother’s back until it is big enough to look after itself.

Koalas mostly live on their own and are quiet, gentle animals, though the males can make a surprisingly loud bellow. Sadly, there are fewer koalas than there used to be, and they are listed as vulnerable. Losing the trees they live in, bushfires, and illness all make life hard for them. Many people in Australia now plant trees and care for sick koalas to help keep them safe.