Koala & baby in Blue Mountains National Park
1,233 views · Published 5 November 2011 · 1:55 · Indexed 25 October 2026
Channel: screenshot · 2011 · Travel & Events
Eeucalyptus woods have made the Blue Mountains. The Australians call these trees Blue gums. They are of vital importance for the koalas, because they only eat eucalyptus leaves and even then only certain species. The koala is a marsupial and has beautiful fur. It is around 60 to 80 cm tall. An adult male weighs around 12 kilos. The koala is mostly active towards the evening and at night. He rests during the day. Now and then he will climb up a little higher or go to the next tree. Koalas live solitary lives. If another comes too close, it results in a brotherly warning. The young or "joey" are cared for very well. 'Please do not disturb, because I have a lot to do tonight' is what this one seems to be trying to say. Males, just like dogs, spray their scent to mark their territory. But they are smart because their territory will always cross into that of a female. "And woe betide you if you have the nerve to climb into my tree!" Koalas mate in trees. The female will have one young, very rarely two. The mating season is from October until March. The young are born 36 days later. They stay with their mother in her pouch for around six months. They come out once in a while and sit on mom's back and in this way start to discover the world. Koalas can live to be 15 years old, but because of fierce forest fires and traffic most of them do not make it to the age of four. The females reach maturity at the age of two. The males take a year longer. Then everything starts which can provide food and rest. The koala is an endangered species. They often live in places where humans also live. And then it is the same old story. Info HighRes Imagery: http://www.stockshot.nl/ © All Rights reserved by Fauna Film B.V. http://www.faunafilm.nl
