In 1986, two veterinary scientists established the Australian Koala Association. The name was later changed to the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF). On September 26th, 2008 the AKF held the first Save the Koala Day. Events for the special day were held at Dreamworld, a theme park, and zoo in Queensland. The AKF chose the last Friday in September as it coincided with Save the Koala Month Every year on the last Friday in September, Save the Koala Day raises awareness for the plight of the koala. It’s also a day to educate the public on the importance of conserving the koala’s natural habitat. Even though it’s called a koala bear, the koala isn’t actually a bear. Instead, the koala is a marsupial. This means that the koala is a mammal that carries its young in a pouch. In the late 18th century, English-speaking settlers in Australia called the animal a bear. These settlers thought the koala looked and behaved like a bear. Since then, many people call these animals, koala bears. Australia provides the only natural habitat in the world for the koala. Known as tree-hugging mammals, koalas live in eucalyptus trees. They grow up to 3 feet tall and weigh anywhere from 9 to 30 pounds. According to the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF), there are less than 100,000 koalas in the wild. Some believe this number is closer to 43,000 koalas. In 2012, the Australian government declared the koala as “vulnerable” in parts of Australia. The AKF feels the conservation status of the koala should be updated to “critically endangered.” Some reasons for the reduced number of koalas in Australia include bush fires, domestic dog attacks, and road accidents. One of the primary reasons for fewer koalas in the wild is the destruction of the eucalyptus forests.
