Creature Features

Koalas in Chiang Mai!

The baby koala emerged from his mother’s pouch on March 5,
the Zoo will hold a naming contest.

The Chiang Mai Zoo welcomed a baby Koala bear on Tuesday, March 5 when a new baby boy emerged from the pouch of his 10 year old mother Simpson. A naming contest will be held to find a name for the newest member of the Chiang Mai Zoo.
Although the koala is not actually a bear, but a marsupial, early settlers to Australia called them bears due to their similar appearance to bears. The koala has a similar appearance to its relative the wombat but has thicker fur, longer legs and larger ears than the wombat. Their weight ranges from 5 kg to 14 kg for a male and in captivity have reached 18 years of age. They are a nocturnal animal and usually very quiet although a mating male koala can have a loud call. Females reach maturity at 2 to 3 years old and males at 3 to 4 years. A healthy female koala can produce one baby each year for about 12 years and gestation is usually around 35 days but after birth the baby koala, or joey, remains in the mother’s pouch for 6 months. Koalas spend about three of their five active hours eating eucalyptus leaves, their food of choice, usually at night.
The Chiang Mai Zoo received two pairs of breeding koalas from the Taronga Zoo in Australia under Royal Patronage in 2006; Fulla, Bryan, Simpson and Coco.

Koalas in Chiang Mai!
 

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