Some of the world’s most adorable animals have arrived at the San Antonio zoo. This summer, two Koalas have traveled all the way from Australia via San Diego to the Alamo City for a special visit. Warrin and Burra, both boys aged 2 and 5, will be part of a new special exhibit at the zoo all summer.
The addition of the cute koalas was welcome but provided the zoo with some new challenges. “We’re really happy to welcome two Koalas to the San Antonio Zoo to spend their summer vacation with us. We had to create a brand new habitat for the Koalas. They will be spending their summers indoors in a climate control facility,” says Jennifer Pue, Director of Public Relations for the San Antonio Zoo.
Alysia Lavender, an animal care specialist for the zoo, says zoo staff had to learn special koala care techniques in order to provide the utmost comfort to the marsupials. “I’ve learned daily care for them, what do we feed them, how do we prep their food for them, how do we clean up after them, what are things that we need to look at to make sure that they are being taken care of appropriately,” Lavender says.
The koalas will be housed in a special exhibit called Wild Australia which features animals from the incredibly biodiverse continent. Koalas, an aviary full of Australian birds, and even kangaroos are all part of this limited time exhibit.
Koalas are somewhat of a one-of-a-kind animal and are marsupials, not bears as they are sometimes called. They have no other living close relatives, and have one of the most specialized diets on the planet. Koalas prefer to eat only eucalyptus trees, native primarily to Australia. Today, koalas are threatened by deforestation and urbanization. The San Antonio Zoo hopes this new exhibit can help spread awareness of this unique and adorable animal.
The Wild Australia exhibit at the San Antonio Zoo opens May 25 and runs through September 2.
The San Antonio Zoo is located at 3903 N. St. Mary’s Street, San Antonio, TX 78212. For more information call (210) 734-7184 or visit SAZoo.org.
