Koalas are on the brink of extinction, but you can ‘adopt’ one and help save them

The koala, the cuddly marsupial that has become a symbol of Australian biodiversity, has been declared “functionally extinct”; that is, the existing specimens are so few that they no longer have any influence on its ecosystem, according to an NGO dedicated to the preservation of the animal. However, there is still hope to save the pet, and you can help.

O awesome.club I would like you to know more about koalas and understand why it is so important to protect them from extinction.

Although they look like adorable teddy bears, koalas are actually marsupials, just like kangaroos. This means that, when they are born, they are the size of a bean and start to live in their mother’s pouch, where they finish their development.

Another curiosity: In Australia, marsupial pups are known as “joeys🇧🇷

Although the fur of koalas looks soft and spongy, it is actually quite thick to protect the animal from the cold and heat. The reduction in the number of live koalas, recorded in the last century, resulted from the rampant hunting practiced with the aim of obtaining the animal’s skin.

The sounds they make aren’t always as cute as they look. According to experts, koalas have at least four types of sounds used in mutual communication, ranging from grunts to whining noises. In the video, we can hear how they react when they feel threatened.

Males are known to have an extra pair of vocal cords outside the larynx, which allows them to make low, deep sounds to attract females during mating season. The sound is transmitted through the forest and can be recorded up to a kilometer away. So the females can know where the males are and how big they are. They always prefer the bigger ones.

In the Aboriginal language, the animal’s name means something like “no water”, as they get the hydration they need only from the eucalyptus leaves they consume. Koalas only drink water when they are sick or during times of drought when the leaves are not moist enough.

Even so, these animals are good swimmers. The catch is that they only travel short distances before they become physically exhausted.

A koala is able to sleep between 14 and 20 hours a day! Their digestion is very slow, which requires long periods of rest. Because of this, and its nocturnal habits, it is so difficult to find a koala. Not to mention that during the few hours they are awake, they only socialize with other koalas for about 15 minutes.

Koalas consume more than a kilo of eucalyptus leaves a day, but the plant is not only food for them, but also their natural habitat. The curious thing is that koalas also help to form eucalyptus forests, since their feces contribute to the renewal of nutrients in the soil.

On the other hand, eucalyptus contains substances that make the plant deadly for almost all animals. Koalas evolved and gained the ability to process the toxin present in the plant. The animals are even able to identify the most nutritious and least toxic leaves, also discovering the level of moisture present in each of them.

Eucalyptus is so poisonous that koala mothers use a curious technique to accustom their young to such substances: from 2 months of age, in addition to milk, the pups are fed a kind of very liquid porridge, which comes out of the mother’s digestive tract and goes straight to her pouch. Porridge is a milder version of eucalyptus leaves, containing all the bacteria necessary for the animal to digest food when it reaches adulthood.

However, what might seem like an evolutionary advantage is now the greater vulnerability of koalas. They depend exclusively on eucalyptus for food. The destruction of forests to expand urban areas, the increase in the number of forest fires due to climate change and the greenhouse effect, which reduce leaf nutrients, are among the biggest causes of the disappearance of koalas.

The sexually transmitted disease, capable of affecting humans, also affects koalas in the wild. even the joeys can be contaminated during feeding in the mother’s pouch. Antibiotic treatments have already been tested, but they have eliminated the bacteria that koalas need to digest eucalyptus leaves without risking death.

In addition, chlamydia can cause blindness and infertility, and even death. Another factor that contributes to the reduction of the population of koalas.

Koalas have many natural predators. And to top it off, the roads that cut through the forests where they live have proved to be another serious risk factor. Constant trampling has been decimating the koala population, despite the adoption of measures aimed at reducing speed, especially at night, when the animals are more active.

However, sometimes dogs can be great allies for the protection of koalas, as shown in this touching news about a small joey orphan, who took shelter from the low temperatures in the body of a golden retriever. The little dog had no problem taking care of her little friend all night.

The Australian Koala Foundation is the main entity working to preserve these cute animals. They demanded that the new government of the country protect the species and support the initiatives already developed, involving different actions to raise awareness about koalas, pressure for the creation of protection laws, tracking the species in the territory, among other ideas.

Although the koala is an animal unique to Australia, organizations in the country carry out campaigns on its behalf in various parts of the world. It is possible to donate money directly, buy products or even plant a eucalyptus tree remotely. And the coolest thing is that you can even adopt a koala.

Of course it is a symbolic adoption, as no one can take the koala home. However, those willing to collaborate receive a certificate with a photo of the adopted koala, the name and a brief history of the animal’s life. And if you visit Australia, you may even be able to visit the adopted koala, as long as the animal is able to receive visitors.

The koala is one of the most iconic animals in Australian biodiversity, and several efforts are being made to prevent it from becoming just another species that humanity has failed to save from extinction.

Do you also think koalas are among the cutest animals out there? Would you like to collaborate for their preservation? Comment!