SINGAPORE: In less than two weeks, the public can see the four female koalas from Australia on loan to Singapore at the Singapore Zoo. They are currently in quarantine, but preparations are underway to make them feel at home.
About 20 to 60 kg of fresh eucalyptus leaves are flown in twice a week from Australia, because each koala can eat up to nearly 500 g of leaves a day. The leaves, which are from the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane – home of the koalas – are washed upon arrival and stored in bins before being transferred into a special chiller that helps keep them fresh.
Staff wear neoprene gloves to avoid the sharp claws of the koalas. They also monitor their fecal pellets daily, to ensure the koalas are digesting their food. Staff also learnt how to give medication and conduct physical health checks, as well as to differentiate between the different types of eucalyptus leaves the koalas enjoy.
The keepers said the four koalas from Australia – Chan, Pelita, Paddle and Idalia – are settling in well. They have even chosen favourite spots within their enclosure.
Staff said Idalia, the youngest, is easiest to recognise. Almost two years old, she is the smallest in size, but the most adventurous.
“She has a very cute face and she is very photogenic. When you want to take a photo of her, she will look at you and make eye contact with the camera. The way she poses when you try to take a picture, it is like she is a model. She is the most active among the four,” said Dr Mathura, a veterinarian from Wildlife Reserves Singapore.
Ms Rubiah Ismail, the assistant curator at Wildlife Reserves Singapore said Paddle, as the oldest, is the most maternal and gentle. But her favourite would be Chan. “She is the most sassy among the rest. She is also the most responsive to stimulants and I think compared to the rest of the koalas, she has a very good memory,” she said.
Currently, the koalas are kept tightly under wraps and only their keepers have access to them. From May 20, the public can see the koalas from Australia, when the Australian Outback section at the Singapore Zoo reopens.
See full story on channelnewsasia.com
Photo: Wildlife Reserves Singapore/Facebook