KOALA’

This is Doowi. A Koala on loan from the San Diego Zoo to the Toronto Zoo for the summer of 2002. These are photos I took of him. He was awake for all of 2 minutes! But I managed to capture him, stretching and even yawning! Isn't he wonderful!

Koala's sleep about 19 to 22 hours a day. They are nocturnal, so the time they are awake is usually during the night. So I was extremely lucky to get a bit of Doowi's time!

The Toronto Zoo set up “fake eucalyptus trees”. They were trees with water containers tied to them with branches of eucalyptus leaves stuck in them. New branches were flown in from the Southern US every couple of days.

To call the Koala a bear would be wrong although that’s all people call them here. I know they aren’t called this in Australia. The Koala is a marsupial, which means they have a pouch, in the koalas case it faces the rear. After a 35 day gestation period a bee size baby crawls into the pouch attaches to its mothers teat and stays there for about 6 months. These babies are called Joey’s. So when they emerge the mother shows them how to eat the eucalyptus leaves, there are 600 different types of these trees but the Koala’s only eat leaves from about 35. At 8 months the Joey rides on its mother’s back, and at 11 months they don’t get any more milk from their mother.

There are 3 different species of Koala’s, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The Queensland are the smallest and weigh about 11 pounds the bigger variety can weigh up to 26 pounds. Their life span is 10 - 18 years. I hope the Koala is with us forever, lots of measures are being taken in Australia to ensure this, however more could always be done as urban development disrupts their habitat leaving many Koala’s with out a home and there vital eucalyptus trees.

This is my favourite koala item. Its almost life size!

It is so real looking, you just want to give him a big cuddle!

This one is made by Sandicast.

Here's our kitty Fern.

My koala look a like!

Beautiful gray fur, stunning white fluffy chest and chin.

They both even have cute black noses. Fern's is a little smaller though, thank goodness! :)

Its an exciting subject to collect, since there aren't too many koala items in Canada. So when I do get a koala item its thrilling. I haven't even ordered any on line yet, but I think that will change!

Here is my collection of koala statues. And to help show them off, is Fern again! This is in our "koala bathroom".
Below are closer views of my smaller figurines, that are kept in that glass case above.

3 koala's plus babies in this unique trinket box style. The head (top) lifts off. Made in England. Given to me as a surprise gift by my friend! I LOVE it Sue!!!

Koala & Kangaroo purse!

Photo to the right is an up close view. Its all beads! Absolutely gorgeous.

I found this at a thrift store for $2!

Ceramic koala I painted. Real Aussie Boomerang below it.

Koala fridge magnets sent to me by my Australian friend Brenda.

Our kitties Fern & Iris,

as kittens.

Having fun in the

koala basket.

My stuffed koala collection. Most I find in thrift stores!

About 24 in that basket.

These stuffed koalas are fabulous. My internet friend Dee sent them to me!

They are from the Discovery Channel. Brisby & Brice. They are the only koala stuffed animals I've seen that have the opposable thumbs. And momma even has a pouch!

Mary Meyer floppy stuffed koala, I got at the Zoo in 2002, as a momento of seeing a koala.

Koala slippers.