In the scale of Christmas Miracles, it goes:
Winning $10 on a scratchie ––––> dominating backyard cricket ––––> PRECIOUS BABY KOALAS
Luckily, Taronga Zoo has delivered us the good end of that scale: tiny little precious baby koalas that have poked their lil heads out of the pouch JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS.
But babby koala is sleepy, so.
That tiny face is a seventh-month-old male joey to mama Sydney (the koala, not the city), who’s just started poking his head out.
Koala Keeper Laura Jones says that “it’s a bit hot inside that pouch on steamy summer days, so he’s started to climb out and sit on Sydney’s head or cling to her belly and back. He’s still climbing back into the pouch occasionally, but it’s a tight squeeze and his arms or legs are often sticking out. By New Year’s Eve I don’t think he’ll fit back in.”
Ya gettin’ too big for for your home, buddy.
A second, eight-month-old female joey to Koala mama Willow has also started poking out, and she’s actually started nibbling on gum leaves (a very big step in baby koala development, apparently).
But she’s not very good at it, yet.
“She’s a bit awkward and clumsy trying to get the leaves into her mouth, but she’s getting better every day,” says Laura.
