The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), often known as the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial endemic to Australia. It is the sole living member of the Phascolarctidae family, and its nearest living relatives are wombats, who belong to the Vombatidae family. The koala lives along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia’s mainland, in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

Its sturdy, tailless body and big head with wide, fluffy ears and a large, spoon-shaped snout make it immediately identifiable. The koala measures 60–85 cm (24–33 in) in length and weighs 4–15 kg (9–33 lb). The color of the fur varies from silver grey to dark chocolate brown. Northern koalas are generally smaller and lighter in color than their southern cousins. These populations may be distinct subspecies, however this is debatable.

Koalas like open eucalypt woods, and the leaves of these trees account for the majority of their food. Koalas are mostly inactive and sleep up to 20 hours a day due to their eucalyptus diet’s low nutritional and caloric content. They are asocial creatures who only form bonds with their dependent progeny.

Loud bellows are used by adult males to scare competitors and attract partners. Males use secretions from scent glands on their chests to signal their presence. Koalas are marsupials, therefore their young are born undeveloped and crawl into their mothers’ pouches for the first six to seven months of their life. Around a year old, these juvenile koalas, known as joeys, are totally weaned. Although koalas have few natural predators or parasites, they are vulnerable to diseases such as Chlamydiaceae bacteria and the koala retrovirus.

For millennia, Indigenous Australians hunted koalas, which were represented in mythology and cave art. The first known contact between a European and a koala occurred in 1798, and naturalist George Perry published a picture of the species in 1810.

In 1814, botanist Robert Brown provided the first thorough scientific description of the koala, although it was not published for another 180 years. The koala was first drawn and documented by popular artist John Gould, who introduced the animal to the broad British audience. Several English scientists disclosed further facts about the animal’s biology throughout the nineteenth century. The koala is well recognized as a symbol of Australia due to its unique look.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has designated koalas as a vulnerable species. The mammal was widely hunted for its fur in the early twentieth century, and large-scale cullings in Queensland sparked a public uproar, sparking a push to conserve the species. Koala sanctuaries were constructed, and translocation operations were expanded to other areas to help koalas whose habitat had become fragmented or diminished. Agriculture, urbanization, droughts, and accompanying bushfires, some of which are linked to climate change, are among the many risks to their survival.

Koala is derived from the Dharug gula, which means “no water.” It was formerly assumed that because the animals were rarely seen coming down from trees, they could survive without drinking.

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