5 Jaw Dropping Koala Facts

Koalas are the most adorable, cutest, cuddliest creatures on the face of this Earth! While that may just be our opinion, we had to start there and set the tone! So if you love these seriously cute and cuddly creatures as much as we do, read on below as we check out five fascinating koala facts!

1. Koalas aren't bears! 

Although many people call them ‘bears’, these aww-inducing animals aren’t bears at all – they are in fact marsupials. These furry mammals lovingly carry their young in pouches. Immediately after being born, the joey climbs up to its mother’s pouch. Blind and deaf, it uses its strong sense of touch and smell to find its way up to the pouch where it will grow for up to six months. Oh, and it’s the cutest baby in the animal kingdom (and that’s a fact :)

2. They are very picky eaters.

These fluffy marsupials can munch on up to two and a half pounds of eucalyptus leaves in a day! You’d expect that all eucalyptus leaves would look the same to a koala, but you’d be horribly wrong. Koalas are extremely picky eaters and will select only the most nutritious, tastiest leaves.

3. Their name means 'no drink'.

Our furry little friends get their name from an Aboriginal term meaning, ‘no drink’. This is because indigenous people studying the koala rarely saw it drink. While it is true that Koalas get almost all of their water from the eucalyptus leaves they eat, they will climb down from the safety of their trees to drink from other water sources when they absolutely have to. Especially during heatwaves and in times of drought or distress.

4. Koalas sleep... A lot!

Enjoy a nice afternoon snooze here and there? So do our cuddly friends! Koalas can’t store much energy, and when they are not feasting on eucalyptus leaves, they spend much of their time dozing in the canopy. Believe it or not, koalas can sleep for up to 18 hours a day!

5. Sadly, koala numbers are on the decline.

Around 80% of koala habitat has been lost to massive bushfires and illegal logging, pushing these amazing animals towards extinction. With their trees gone, homeless koalas are forced to search for food and shelter on the ground where they are vulnerable to being hit by vehicles or attacked by dogs, two of the leading causes of death for koalas.

It is estimated that only 40,000 koalas are left in the wild. And if we are to save koalas from extinction we have to start by bringing back their trees. Unfortunately, these amazing mammals are facing a dire future, if we don’t step in and help their survival.

During the last year, Treehuggers Bracelets has been leading the way to restore koala habitats all across the Australian East Coast.

While most of us may not be able to hop on a plane to Australia easily these days and get in on the planting, there’s something you can do right now to help save koalas. One bracelet. One tree. Help restore Koala Habitats across the Australian East Coast.