Save the Koala Day
Save the Koala Day is on Friday, the 25th of September, marking the final Friday of Save the Koala Month. The day is organised by the Australian Koala Foundation and aims to raise awareness about koala conservation and the protection of their natural habitats.
Looking Beyond Their Fame
There is no doubt that the koala is an Australian icon. But besides their Instagram-worthy faces, they also serve as an umbrella species. An umbrella species is a species that encompasses a large habitat, and when that habitat is protected, it indirectly saves many other species co-existing in the same ecosystem.Â
So essentially, by protecting the koalas’ habitat, we automatically protect many other species. Some other umbrella species include the giant panda, grizzly bear and northern spotted owl. Conservation groups often target their efforts to umbrella species so they can protect maximum biodiversity with a limited amount of money, getting more bang for their buck.
Koalas live in the eucalyptus forests and open woodlands of eastern and southeastern Australia. They share their habitat with a wide variety of neighbours, mostly native plants and forest-dwelling animals. When the koalas’ habitat is conserved, species like the powerful owl, Cumberland Plain land snail, swift parrot and many eucalyptus species also reap the benefits.
The Diet That Keeps Giving
A koala’s diet is very interesting, it typically contains eucalyptus leaves, eucalyptus leaves, and… more eucalyptus leaves. What’s actually interesting about the diet? Well, for most humans and animals, eucalyptus leaves aren’t safe to eat as they contain powerful natural toxins and are considered poisonous. But koalas are a rare exception, they can consume the plant safely because they have evolved a specialised digestive system. These adaptations help them break down the leaves and tolerate these compounds.
They can eat up to 1 kilogram of eucalyptus leaves each day, but they are quite picky and won’t eat just any eucalyptus leaf. Koalas will use their smell and taste to choose which leaves to eat, often picking ones with lower toxin levels. But this specialised diet does come at a cost. Eucalyptus leaves provide relatively little energy and digesting them requires a lot of effort, which helps explain how they can sleep up to 22 hours a day. Â
But this diet has worked for the sleepy superstars in different ways. As the leaves are toxic to most animals, it provides them with an untapped food source that they don’t need to compete for. The diet also fills their bodies with strong essential oils, making them strongly scented and generally unappetising to many predators (talk about stinking them out). It also provides a bonus for the environment. By eating the leaves, koalas help thin out the upper tree cover, which in return allows more sunlight to reach the forest floor, helping new plants and trees regenerate.
Even koalas’ scat (droppings) has benefits. Their scat breaks down and feeds nutrients back into the soil around the bases of trees. It’s also very useful for scientific use, as it can be used for DNA, giving us more insight into the species without disturbing them.Â
Supporting Our Koalas
Unfortunately, koalas are officially listed as endangered across Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. Governments and wildlife groups are actively funding habitat restoration, disease treatment, and road safety projects to protect declining koala populations.Â
Government plans and initiatives go a long way, but so do small actions. Driving carefully and keeping pets secured are just some small ways that we contribute to protecting koalas. At home, you can avoid harmful chemicals in gardening and conserve water. This will help the local soil, leaves and trees stay healthy. Going a step further, reporting sightings is another way to make a contribution, this helps researchers track and protect populations. Our ecology team completed a koala revegetation project that contributed to this important work, which you can find out more about here.Â
Just by reading this article and learning more about koalas is making a positive impact so well done!
To read more about what you can do to help our furry friends in need, head here!
Fun Facts About The Koala!
Here are three fun facts about our lovable icons!
Fun Fact 1: We mentioned earlier that the koala’s closest relative is the wombat. This is because they share unique qualities, particularly in the pouch and the back. Both animals have pouches that open toward the rear rather than the front (the opposite of a kangaroo). They also both have tough rumps that support them! A Koala’s hard cartilage plate allows them to sit comfortably in trees for hours, whilst the wombat’s is primarily used for defence against predators.Â
Fun Fact 2: Sleeping large amounts of the day burns a lot of daylight. Luckily, koalas are nocturnal, so most of they’re mostly active at dusk and dawn. They move during the day on occasion if they are disturbed or need to find a new tree.
Fun Fact 3: They have human-like fingerprints! Their fingerprints look almost identical to a human’s.
