Koala Video Captivates World
Meet Yabbra the Koala! He is the star of a new YouTube video released by the Edinburgh Zoo.
The video shows Yabbra running through the hallways at the zoo, which is something not normally seen by the public. Koalas are typically relaxed and lethargic, sleeping for up to 22 hours per day. Yet Yabbra shows that he is wide-awake and energetic for the two hours he's awake.
Yabbra is one of two koalas in the United Kingdom; his friend, Goonaroo is also in the Edinburgh Zoo, which is the only place that houses the furry mammals. They are native to Australia, though the U.K. is housing them as part of the European breeding program. Yabbra and Goonaroo are being kept at the zoo until they are ready to be bred with female Koalas.
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According to the zoo's website, koalas are generally solitary animals. They are decreasing in population throughout Australia due to eucalyptus forest removal. More houses and roads are being built, which leads to the destruction of forests. "When koalas move from one tree to another on the ground, they are very vulnerable to predation from dogs, both while and domestic, and many are struck by cars."
Yabbra got his name, which is Aboriginal for "the fugitive," after repeatedly escaping his mother's pouch at a young age. Goonaroo is Aboriginal for "wood duck." The two are separated by one year in age and will be held until the breeding program is successful.
Reports state that females reach maturity at two to three years, while males don't become fully mature until three to four years. Female koalas may produce one offspring every year for up to 12 years. Gestation is 35 days, but the mother koala will keep her baby, or joey, in a safe pouch for around six months. The joey will not fully leave the pouch until one year old.
Yabbra and Goonaroo are two of only 43,000 koalas in the world.
