G’DAY, JOEY!
A SOUTHERN koala joey has been born at Longleat Safari Park – the first koala of its kind to ever be born in Europe.
The joey arrived last year but has been hiding inside its mother’s pouch until now. When they are born, koala joeys are the size of a jelly bean, and are blind and hairless. They usually stay inside their mother’s pouch until they are around six months old and are ready to start investigating the world.
Violet, the joey’s mum, came to Longleat from Australia three years ago, as part of an international breeding programme to help save this unusual species.
Australia is the only place in the world where koalas live in the wild, but their numbers are falling dramatically. In 2020, large bushfires destroyed a huge area of koala habitat and killed lots of the animals. Longleat’s Koala Creek aims to be the European hub for Koala breeding, so the safe arrival of the first joey is wonderful news.