This year’s breeding season at the Australian Reptile Park has produced the Park’s 100th koala.
The male koala emerged from the pouch of mum Ash to say hello to the world on June 22 – the 100th to be born at the Park since it opened at Somersby in 2000 and the first to be born this year.
Ash was the first koala joey to be born after the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires which devastated the country.
As she was the first koala joey to emerge from her mother’s pouch during 2020’s koala breeding season, she was aptly named Ash as a sign of hope for the future of Australia’s native wildlife.
Fast forward three years and she has now welcomed her own little joey, which has been named Phoenix, after the Greek mythological creature which rose from the ashes of its predecessor.
The Park’s resident koala whisperer, Life Sciences Manager Hayley Shute, said the birth was an incredible moment.
“Over the past few days, we’d seen tiny little paws come out of the pouch, but nothing more,” she said on June 22.
“This morning, I was surprised to see that the beautiful little joey had fully emerged and was already venturing onto mum’s back.
“The birth of Phoenix is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of the team at the Australian Reptile Park.
“It shows that with proper care and conservation efforts, we can make a difference and ensure the survival of this beautiful iconic Australian species.”
Park Director Tim Faulkner said the birth of the 100th koala at the Park is one of his proudest achievements, alongside creating wild koala habitat through Aussie Ark, becoming Patron for the Great Koala National Park in 2015 and educating thousands of people, worldwide, about koalas over the years.
“Phoenix the koala is a touching symbol of the plight of koalas, a species in dire need of our help,” he said.
“With estimates that koalas in the wild may be extinct by 2050, it’s crucial that we take action to protect these incredible creatures.
“His mother Ash, along with the Park’s other world-famous koala, Elsa, has touched the hearts of many and raised awareness for their cause.
“Visitors have travelled from far and wide to personally meet Ash the koala themselves and can now look forward to seeing her bonding with her son Phoenix in the Koala Yard.”
The news of the next generation of koalas is also promising for native wildlife conservation organisations like the Australian Reptile Park’s sister organisation, Aussie Ark.
Since the fires decimated the wild koala populations around the country during the Black Summer fires, it is still unknown how severe the decline in population has been.
The Australian Reptile Park continues to breed koalas to help boost population numbers for the endangered species and educate Australians about koalas.
Source:
Australian Reptile Park