FORT LAUDERDALE Blog

Saying Goodbye To Two Koalas

Saying Goodbye to Two Koalas!

Did you know that koala bears are not actual bears? They are considered marsupials! Although their appearances do look like a bear, they share more characteristics with other marsupials like wombats.  Koalas are very sleepy animals honestly sleeping about 18-22 hours a day! People do associate Koalas with diseases although that’s not truly the case.  There are two major diseases that impact Koala bears. Those two diseases are chlamydia and Koala Retrovirus also known as (KoRV).  Through research, it shows that both diseases have likely been with Koalas for thousands of years. KoRV potentially has been invading the Koala germline for over 50,000 years!   Although the main reasons Koalas die are not from diseases but from habitat loss. The main reasons for this are bushfires, land clearing, diseases of the eucalypts such as “dieback”. Dieback is a common symptom or disease found especially in woody plants that kills the twigs, branches, or roots starting at the tips. You can notice the decline when pale green or yellow leaves have delayed growth, premature fall coloration, and thinning of the leaves.

A local zoo in Miami, FL announced that its 2-year-old koala named Hope was unfortunately found dead by staff members in late August. Hope was born on May 30th, 2019, and was the third born koala in the zoo’s history and the first one to be born in 28 years! He got the name Hope due to the horrific fires that occurred in Australia a short time after he was born. The staff members at the zoo said that many people feel that Hopes birth was a symbol of just that, hope!

According to staff members, regular checkups were done on Hope after he had been found lethargic over the last few days with no appetite. Over the last few years of being cared for in the zoo, Hope had recurring gastrointestinal issues that were being monitored and treated. These issues are common in Koalas and Hope did show positive improvement with treatments although the last week his health started to drastically decline. Hope was immobilized so the veterinarians could do a full examination including collecting blood, X-rays, and taking other cultures for testing. Hope sadly passed away prior to the tests being evaluated. A necropsy will be performed to find out the exact cause of death. Hope is survived by his 5-year-old mother Rinny, and his 10-year-old father Milo. The zoo of Miami has donated thousands of dollars in Hopes name to support wildlife rescue.

Early this year in Columbia SC we lost another beautiful Koala who died at the age of 19! Her name was Lottie the Koala Bear, and she was very loved at Riverbanks Zoo.  Lottie came to Riverbanks in 2003 as a gift from Queensland. Australia. During her time at the zoo, she raised 11 joeys, a proud grandma of 15 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren during her time at the zoo! Lottie was the guest's and staff's favorite, and she became an iconic ambassador for Koalas!

Koala bears are close to extinction with less than 100,000 left in the wild. Rehabilitation centers like these zoos help koalas reproduce and hopefully save the species. The loss of Koalas during the New South Wales fires in 2019-2020 threatens that Koalas will be extinct in New South Wales before 2050.