Our Friend the Koala-

Our Friend the Koala-
Endangered
If so many people care so much about koalas and endangered species, and they don’t want anything bad to happen, then why are they on their way to extinction? These animals will be gone if we don’t do anything now.

Where do they live?
The koala or Pharcolarctus Cinereous (scientific name), are one of the many animals on its way to extinction. Koalas live in the high tops of eucalyptus trees of the coastal regions of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, or the Eastern and Southern parts of Australia. They can stay up to 10 years in the wild, and could live up to 20 years in the zoo.

Why are they endangered?
One of the several reasons koalas are endangered is because of global warming. Koalas live in the eucalyptus tree; however these trees are dying for the reason that there is too much sun and not enough rain to keep the trees alive. Also, people are sawing down trees to make more room for buildings and other places.
Although we all see koalas as beautiful creatures, hunters seek them for their valuable fur. In the 1900’s over half a million koalas were slaughtered. More than million koala skins were exported from Australia in 1924.

Predator?
Koalas aren’t considered pests, however if they think they are in a dangerous situation, they’re known to start making grunting noises. Whenever needed, they will at times leap from out of their tree and scratch and bite the victim who they think is harming them. Usually the sufferer would not undergo serious injuries, just minors scrapes and bruises.

How many are left?
There used to be millions of koalas nesting in the trees of Southern and Eastern Australia, but sadly only one hundred are left, but the numbers are gradually going down. There are about 50,000 koalas in Queensland, estimated 15,000 in Victoria and Southern Australia, and about 15,000 in New South Wales.

Koalas and breeding
Koalas breed one baby at a time and find mates in September through January. When a baby koala is born it is as small as a nickel, barely has ears, and is not able to open its eyes. The baby koala will then crawl up to its mother pouch and stay there for an estimated 6 months. It eats by drinking the milk of the mother.

Protection
The Australian Koala Foundation is one the dedicated wild life preserves that is doing its best to save the animal from extinction. Also, the San Francisco zoo has breeding programs in order to help populate the animal.
Scientists and biologists are working hard to save the koala such as Allison Scott and biologist Fred Bercovith, are trying there best to find cures to stop the diseases they are getting.
Some Australian laws for the koala are that there is road signs that say, “Slow down, koala crossing” on the roads to keep people from running over them. The punishment for poachers who kill a koala are about three to six months in prison. The fines are about one thousand dollars, yet some say the amount is too low.



Conclusion
The koalas need our help more than ever, and it is up to us to save them. They are one the worlds most beautiful creatures, and soon they will be gone if nothing is done to help them.We can help by adopting a koala. Like Pamela A. Matson quoted, “We share this planet with many species. It is our responsibility to protect them, both for our sakes and our own.

Did you know?
The koalas have a diet by just eating the leaves off the eucalyptus trees. However, did you know the leaves they eat are poisonous? The reason why koalas can eat the leaves is because they have a special stomach that separates the toxins from the leaf. Koalas don’t have to drink water because the leaves supply them with water. Koala stands for “No water” in Aborigine. It’s also funny because the koalas can become “drunk” because of the poison.
Koalas almost never go on the ground; instead they swing from tree to tree. They are also pretty good swimmers and they eat so many eucalyptus leafs that they tend to smell like them. There are many nicknames for the koala two of which are Bangaroo and the New Holland sloth. Koalas are nocturnal which means they sleep during the day, which is about twenty hours.