The koala is a most recognizable animal of Australia. It is popular, iconic, and marketable.
This species is an undeniable tourist attraction in Australia, an advertising symbol and the inspiration behind millions of soft toys, games and gimmicks.
The koala is a valuable draw card within zoos and fauna parks, such as at Healesville Sanctuary, Phillip Island and Australia zoo - an animal species sought after by zoos the world over.
Koalas and Different Cultures
Australia's Aborigines acknowledge the koala's significance to their day-to-day lives in a wealth of "Dreamtime" stories (creation of life by ancestral beings). These legends tell of how the koala lost its tail and why he has so little need of water.
Koalas existed side by side with Australia's aborigines for thousands of years before the arrival of the first European settlers, who credited it with many bizarre habits - in an endeavor to relate it to more familiar, conventional tree mammals.
Koala Distribution
The koala has lost habitat through the removal of natural vegetation and is endangered by dogs and car traffic. There are ongoing efforts to save the koala.
Its natural distribution is along the east coast of Australia but has been widened, or "trans-located" by its introduction to more than twenty offshore islands to protect it from the fur trade. Despite legislation restricting hunting in the early 1900s, millions of koalas have already been killed and many koala populations have never recovered.
The Koala's Research Appeal
Over the years, the koala has become one of the most intensively studied of all Australian animals. Researchers have devoted themselves to studying the species and reveal its secrets to answer such questions as:
- Is the koala actually slothful as portrayed?
- How does it survive on indigestible eucalyptus leaves? There are hundreds of species of eucalyptus but only a few which are important to koalas.
- Will koalas cohabit in groups or do they prefer to be by themselves?
Over the last decade, a large amount of fossil data has been unearthed. The koala was around for at least 25 million years and evolved from the rain forest to the eucalyptus woodland.
With this new material a more confident view of the evolutionary history of koalas has emerged. By exploring the koala's origins, ecology and behavior, and the times it has already survived, perhaps some of the dangers it continues to face may be averted.
Popularity of the Koala
The popularity of the koala stretches far beyond the scientific community. Its undisputed popularity is also reflected in its prominent position in advertising campaigns, songs, poems, cartoons, books and now, video games. The koala's popularity has helped it to play an important role as an ambassador for Australia and as a great attraction for the Australian tourism industry.
References
- "Koala - Origins of an Icon", Stephen Jackson. Jacana Books, Crow's Nest, NSW. 2007.
- "The Koala - Natural History, Conservation and Management", Roger Martin & Katherine Handasyde. UNSW Press, Sydney. 1999.
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