7.8.2023 – Photos by Petra Ballon
Terra Australis ist einzugsbereit: Die Koalas sind da!
On the 30th of June 2023, the time had finally come: the four koalas, whose enclosure forms the centrepiece of the new Terra Australis at Wilhelma, arrived in Stuttgart. The marsupial quartet from Down Under landed in Frankfurt around midday, where they were welcomed by Wilhelma Director Dr Thomas Kölpin and two animal keepers.
The four koalas covered the last leg of the journey to Stuttgart in a special air-conditioned transporter. They were accompanied to the other end of the world by an Australian animal keeper who will stay at the Zoological-Botanical Garden for a few more days to accompany them during the acclimatisation process.
The two males Aero and Navy, five and two and a half years old, are half-siblings. They are joined by the two female koalas Scarborough (4 years old) and Auburn (2.5 years old). All four come from the Australian Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation, a foundation dedicated to the protection and preservation of endangered native species.
The furry sympathetic bearers are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Their habitat is threatened above all by the large-scale deforestation of the eucalyptus forests. In addition, there are natural disasters: The devastating forest fires on the east coast of Australia in 2019/20 are estimated to have killed 30 per cent of the animals. In order to maintain a diverse gene pool, reserve populations are being established in zoos with the animals living there. Wilhelma will also enter the breeding programme with its cute “gang of four”.
The four koalas have been in quarantine behind the scenes for a few more days, then they were allowed to inspect their new home. “The animals are doing well, they were just struggling a bit with the jet lag,” says district manager Thali Bauer. “We’re really happy that it’s working out so well. We’ve been working towards this for so long.” The colleague from Australia is also very enthusiastic about the ambience that Wilhelma has created for the koalas: “She wants to take some ideas home with her,” says Bauer.
The new Terra Australis, where eleven animal species from Down Under will be on display, is open to everyone from 25 July. Now Wilhelma visitors are able to welcome Aero, Navy, Auburn and Scarborough to Swabia.
Video by Wilhelma Stuttgart
Dear Mervi and Petra,
You can see the jet lag on the koalas a bit, although the boys don’t really have any facial expressions.
I wish Wilhelma good luck with this new species in their zoo. I think there is quite a large koala group in Duisburg, or at least one that has existed for a long time, with a very friendly keeper.
Kind regards and thank you for the nice contribution!
Britta-Gudrun
Liebe Petra und liebe Mervi!
Danke für dieses knuffige Update aus der Wilhelma. Koalas sind sehr niedlich anzusehen und diese werden sicher schnell zu Besucherlieblingen. Sie sind untereinander allerdings nicht so nett, wie sie aussehen…
Ich muss bei diesen Bildern gleich wieder an die von den schrecklichen Buschfeuern betroffenen Koalas in Australien denken, von denen viele auf den Straßen Hilfe bei Menschen suchten und bekamen. So wurde ihnen Wasser zu trinken gegeben und ihre Brandwunden, speziell an den Füßen, wurden in Auffangstationen medizinisch versorgt. Das hat mich sehr berührt und ich hoffe, dass sich ihr Lebensraum und ihre Population schnell erholen.
Viele Grüße
Anke
Liebe Petra und Mervi!
Das sind sehr gute Neuigkeiten. Die Koalas sind schöne Tiere.
Hugs
Ludmila
Vielen Dank für diese Information! Die Wilhelma hat nun 4 Koalas. Das macht den Zoo auf jeden Fall noch attraktiver!!
Danke, liebe Petra, für die herrlichen Bilder und all die Infos über die 4 ent-zückenden Pelzträgern.
Thank you also, dear Mervi!
Hugs,
Anita
Dear Petra and Mervi,
Thank you for the lovely report, photographs and video of the new arrivals from the land down under. No doubt the Koala’s will prove to be a big attraction at Wilhelma …….especially if they breed successfully and there are baby Koalas in the near future.