Perth Zoo visitors to get a glimpse of baby koala, parents birth joey in first breeding seasonKellie BalaamThe West AustralianWed, 18 June 2025 3:07PMCommentsCommentsEmail Kellie Balaam
Animal lovers might just be lucky enough to spot Perth Zoo’s newest and cutest arrival — a seven-month-old koala joey.
The adorable joey has finally decided to venture outside its mother Mindjil’s pouch and forage for some tasty eucalyptus leaves.
The baby — born about the size of a jellybean — has been monitored closely over the past months as it began to poke a little pink arm or foot out of the pouch until it was ready to climb out and see the world.
Now, as the joey grows in size and confidence, lucky visitors might see it hitching a ride on mum’s back, providing the perfect opportunity to witness some koala-ty content.
Perth Zoo Australian fauna keeper Bronte Winterbottom said the birth of the unbearably sweet addition to the zoo family was a big achievement.
“This joey is pretty special for all of us as it’s one of the first we’ve had in a few years,” she said.
“Last week was the first time we saw the joey eating eucalyptus leaves, being a proper koala instead of just nursing off mum.
“The whole milestone process is pretty slow because a lot of Australian marsupials take a long time to grow and develop, so that’s why we aren’t expecting (it) to be independent until at least another whole year.”
Perth Zoo visitors should be on the lookout for the joey, with their best chance to see the furry face during a free koala keeper talk, which runs at 3pm four times a week.
It’s hoped keepers will be able to successfully record the gender of the joey in the coming weeks.
The joey’s parents arrived just last year as part of Perth Zoo’s role in the regionally coordinated koala breeding program.
Despite being a Perth Zoo favourite, koalas — who sleep up to 20 hours a day — are not native to WA. In the wild, they’re found in South Australia and throughout bushland in the eastern states.
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