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New Koala Family Member Debuts at Taipei Zoo

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Post date:2023-02-02

Updates:2023-02-02

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Visitors at Taipei Zoo probably have already noticed the curious cub clinging onto the female koala bear Moana at the Koala House.

That’s right! The baby koala bear is the offspring of Moana and Wolverine – a male koala bear which was brought to Taipei Zoo in 2018 from the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Australia.
New Koala Family Member Debuts at Taipei Zoo
Roughly 258 days after its birth, the infant marsupial is able to venture outside the mother’s pouch. According to the zookeepers, the young koala is full of energy! While he still needs to rely on half-digested leaves and pap from his mom, the joey has been trained by caretakers to temporarily leave the back of Moana, allowing staff to take measurements and track its growth.

The joey usually begins learning to be independent around one year old. While he currently resides with his mother and aunts, the young koala will be relocated to the “male’s dormitory” by the time he reaches maturity. Since koalas are solitary animals and females being especially territorial, it is not common for fights to breakout between adults.

One of the few exceptions are male koalas who are able learn to share a living space under the special care of zoo keepers. There are currently eight adult male koalas at Taipei Zoo, and the staff are planning to adjust space allocation in the future.

Before the time comes, the joey continues to enjoy its time on the back of his mother Moana at the Koala House. Don’t miss your chance to watch and observe the new member of the koala family during the Chinese New Year period!

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