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Expedition 🇦🇺 Australia

Koala in Australia

Australia's sleepy tree hugger — a marsupial that lives on toxic eucalyptus leaves and rarely comes down to the ground.

Koala

The species

The koala is not a bear but a marsupial specialist of eucalyptus forest, sleeping up to 20 hours a day to conserve energy on a diet that is low in nutrition and high in toxins. Its fluffy ears, spoon-shaped nose, and gripping claws make it one of the world's most recognisable animals.

Habitat in Australia

Eucalyptus woodland and forest along Australia's eastern and southern coasts hold koalas. They depend on specific tree species and are threatened by habitat clearing, bushfires, and chlamydia disease in many populations.

Where to spot one

  • Great Ocean Road

    Victoria

    Coastal eucalyptus forest and Kennett River's wild koalas — one of the most reliable places to spot them in the wild.

  • Kangaroo Island

    South Australia

    Kangaroos, koalas, and sea lions on an island sanctuary off Adelaide — compact Australian wildlife in one place.

  • Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

    Northern Territory

    Red centre country where red kangaroos graze at dawn against the backdrop of Uluru.

  • Daintree Rainforest

    Queensland

    Ancient tropical forest at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef — cassowaries, tree kangaroos, and forest birds.

Conservation status

EN — Endangered

Koalas are Endangered in eastern Australia after bushfires, habitat loss, and disease devastated populations. Conservation groups are planting corridors and treating sick animals in wildlife hospitals.

Keep exploring

Keep exploring

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