Koalas at Symbio

If they're really well looked after they can live for a really really long time. Now a bit about their breeding season is in October up until April with both males and females reaching sexual maturity slash mating age at around one and a half to two years old so really really early on they can start mating. A really easy way we can tell the difference between our males and our females apart from their outer organs that they do display our males do have and our females don't have this. Now what's called is called a scent gland. Basically what the males will do is actually rub it on the trees in the wild to attract those females because it has quite a strong smell which is what the male will do to attract the female. The best way I guess to describe it is a really deep groaning noise but kind of sounds like a really really long burp. That is probably the best way to explain it. If you're lucky enough you may be gentle doing it at some point today he does it quite a lot because you can smell those girls next to him. So their gestational period is actually really short it's only about 35 days and a koala joey is born roughly the size of a jellybean. So if you have a look at your finger now that is roughly how small they are when they are actually born. They have no fur and they are pink and they look like because of this we actually don't know the exact ages of our koalas because we don't actually see them for about half a year after they're actually born so we have to kind of guess their ages in a way. Now for these six seven months the joeys will live off the diet of milk but they also have to ingest a really really special substance. Now this substance is called PAP. PAP is a fecal substance that's produced by mum. So yeah now what it's called is called a stepland. Basically what the males will do is they'll actually rub it on the trees in the wild to attract those females because it has quite a strong smell. The joey's got bacteria. Mum is able to pass down her microorganisms and bacterias in her body to her joey because the leaf's so toxic. After a couple of weeks of the joey ingesting that PAP we're going to eventually end the start digesting that you do at this link. Then at about 10 to 11 months old is when they start to mature off on their own. They were listed as endangered only about two years ago in the states of New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT. Now although they do blend in very very well in the wild we're fortunate enough to thank you Jeff for doing it at some point today. He does it quite a lot because he can smell those girls now. So their gestation period is actually really short it's only about 35 days and a koala joey is born roughly the size of a jelly bean. So if you have a look at your finger now that is roughly how small they are when they are actually born. They have no fur and they are pink and they look like a tiny little pink jelly bean. It's absolutely adorable. So they spend about six to seven months in the patch. Not only do these bushfires have a great impact on our native wildlife as a whole but definitely individually impacted our koalas offshore in the wild. Now however habitat destruction is actually one of the lead to live, eat and basically survive unfortunately. Now habitat destruction is a major issue in Australia. What it's doing is forcing our koalas to be quite close together. Now koalas are very solitary animals in nature which means they don't really like living with other koalas. So what it's forcing them to do is they're coming down from those trees. They are crossing highways being struck by people's cars and for the first few weeks of their lives. Now I know this probably sounds super gross and your face says it all over there. I know it does sound gross but it's actually really really really important. Now what it does it actually builds up the joey's gut bacteria. Mommy's able to pass down her microorganisms and bacterias in her body to her koalas. Practicing responsible pet ownership. So if you have dogs at home or cats just making sure they can't escape your backyard. Last but not least, not so much for the children that might be here. I don't think there's anyone else here. Also for the parents that are driving those cars on those highways. Just being a little bit more cautious than you think you normally would be because you never know you may come in contact with a koala trying to get to safety or to their absolute favorite food in the entire world which is of course baby food for sleep. Well everyone that brings me to the end of my koala talk. I will hang back.