Koala

Koala Latest News

Recently, Australia approved the world’s first vaccine to save koalas from Chlamydia.

About Koala

• Koala bear (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia.
• It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the wombats.
• Koalas are asocial animals, congregating only during the breeding season.
• They spend most of their time eating and sleeping in eucalyptus trees, and their paws have two opposing thumbs to help them grasp and climb up tree trunks.
• Distribution: Koalas are distributed across eastern and southeastern Australia, including northeastern, central, and southeastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, Victoria as well as southeastern parts of South Australia.
• Habitat: They can be found in habitats ranging from relatively open forests to woodlands, and in climates ranging from tropical to cool temperate.
• Food: Koalas are herbivorous (folivorous) animals, feeding primarily upon the leaves of the eucalyptus tree.
• Conservation status: IUCN: Vulnerable
• Threats: These species are facing compounded threats from disease, habitat loss, climate change and road collisions.   

Chlamydia in Koalas

• Koalas suffer from both bacterium species Chlamydia pneumonia and Chlamydia pecorum.
• The disease occurs in koalas multiple ways, including through mating, infected discharges and at birth. 
• It can cause eye infections, blindness, urinary tract problems, and even infertility.
• Infected koalas often become weak, dehydrated, and more vulnerable to predators and bushfires.
• In some areas of Australia, up to 70% of wild koalas carry the disease.
• Chlamydia spreads quickly in koalas because they live in overlapping territories and groom each other. 

Source: TH

‹ ›