Is it possible to have a koala as a pet

Not only are koalas expert fast tree climbers, but they are also very quick when on the ground. This is not a straightforward question. Koalas sleep for 18 to 20 hours per day to conserve energy because eucalyptus leaves, their main food, contains so little energy. Koalas wake to eat at various intervals through the day and night.

Being well adapted to hot Australian conditions, koalas sleep through most of the heat of the day and are more active, e. It is probably most accurate to class them as 'crepuscular' active at dawn and dusk. The male makes a loud rumbling grating and booming bellow that can be heard across very large distances. This is both a warning to other males to stay out of his territory, and a call to females.

The females also bellow, usually in response to a male calling. Dogs and dingoes will eat joey and adult koalas. Eagles will take joeys. When they are in the trees under leafy cover, they are largely safe from predators. However, they have to come down to the ground to move between food trees and look for mates.

It is on the ground that they are most vulnerable. Dingoes, although a natural predator for koalas, have little impact on the species as they do on all species because they do not have a preferred food and, with their very varied diet, they are unlikely to regularly eat one species koala or any other animals.

Domestic dogs allowed to roam through the bush, or gone feral and living wild, are the biggest danger for koalas. Domestic dogs do have individual food preferences and, if even one dog has a taste for koalas, it is likely to hunt koalas relentlessly and can decimate a wild koala population over a very short time period.

Click for Contact Details. Click for Ticket Prices. It's a marsupial whose large fluffy ears, fuzzy round head, big black nose and stumpy form make it look like a cuddly teddy bear.

Not even Australians can own one. But there are some exceptions. Authorized zoos can keep koalas, and occasionally scientists can keep them. Certain people have permission to temporarily keep sick or injured koalas or orphaned baby koalas, called joeys.

To be considered as a person who cares for sick or injured koalas or orphaned joeys, you need to get a permit from an Australian wildlife authority and live in Australia. The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts of the Australian Government strictly oversees the transfer of koalas out of the country. Ann Sharp. David Bateman Ltd. New Zealand. They are fairly solitary creatures, although they do like to be living in overlapping home ranges in bushland with other Koalas.

In the wild in undamaged habitat, the average life span of a Koala is about 10 years. However, where habitat is damaged, such as in suburban areas, they may only live for a few months or years because of the dangers from cars and dogs. Males tend to have a shorter life span than females because of the stresses of fights during the breeding season and the fact that they tend to move around more than females in search of mates, thus putting them in increased danger from dogs and cars.

Because of the stresses associated with living in the wild, Koalas in the wild can have a considerably shorter life span than Koalas in zoos. The oldest zoo Koala that we know about was a female who lived to 23 years old at Lone Pine Sanctuary in Queensland. He lived to Usually between 18 to 22 hours. They sleep a lot to conserve energy as their diet requires a lot of energy to digest.

However, the pouch opening is towards the bottom of the pouch, so when the joey is larger and puts its head out of the pouch it can appear that the pouch faces backwards. These creatures have surprisingly sharp teeth, used to rip eucalyptus leaves, and claws, used for climbing trees, that can do serious damage if they are used in self-defense.

Of course, certain koalas—such as those raised in captivity—may be more receptive to human interaction than others. However, there is no indication that koalas are particularly fond of humans.

Because koalas are a protected species. They are considered to be vulnerable, but according to the WWF and other sources, they may soon be endangered due to a plummeting population. For example, zoos may be allowed to keep koalas with the proper authority. People with the experience and credentials to care for koalas may also be permitted to take in orphaned, sick, or injured koalas on a temporary basis. Your donation will help support the work of saving wild koalas from becoming endangered or extinct.

While they are adorable, koalas would not make great pets for a few reasons.