# koala



## pet_guy (Oct 24, 2008)

are koala bears legal in the uk and what are there housing requirements
types of food and does anyone know of a breeder and a care sheet i cant find one !!!!!!!!!!:2wallbang::2wallbang::2wallbang: if they arent does anyone know of a cute cuddly animal that doesnt rome the house like a raccoon or a skunk.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

I know of an animal which will suit your requirements. It is a goldfish or, alternatively a stuffed toy. I imagine either would not be an intellectual challenge to yourself either which has to be a bonus.


----------



## Tan (May 7, 2008)

Don't know about the legality of it all but to my knowledge they live to about 12yrs. Sexual mature about 2yrs for female & 3yrs for males. They live pretty much on eucalyptus leaves. Sleeps a lot. Thats my knowledge on them  but why go for something that you obviously really need to do a lot of homework on. How about a smaller, easier kept animal like a guinea pig. I'm not being rude so don't think that but it just seems like you need to some work prior to taking on such an animal. Google Koala and you'll get all in info you need to know about them but in my opinion aim smaller and easier, like a hedgie (unbiase I sware :whistling2


----------



## kodakira (Jul 11, 2008)

As far as I am aware Koala's are not kept as domestic animals. They have a highly specialised diet, which consists of eucalyptus leaves, young shoots, bark and flowers.The leaves apparently make up the majority of there diet.
There are hundreds of types of eucalyptus plants of which the Koala only eats a few types and again this depends on locality. A Koala from one area may eat one type whereas a Koala 50 miles away may eat another. I am told that once a koala starts eating a particular few then it is next to impossible to get them to eat anything else.
The amount that they would eat would be a physical impossibility to maintain and that is if you could find the actual ones that they eat.

Ps Fenwoman I like goldfish :lol2:


----------



## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

i very much doubt you would find "pet" koalas in the uk.. i know back in 2006 it was against the law to own them as pets in america.. having got rory to check the defa site, there is nothing specific we can see on there about them however. they are not listed on the DWA for instance... and the only references to them on defras site are those to do with zoos or research.

you may be able to look at adopting one at a zoo, and helping maintain this wonderful species that way, but i doubt you would ever be able to have one at home. unless home is australia... and even then i am sure the laws will dictact whether you can or not. but as said i do know that back in 2006 they were ilegal to have as pets in the USA for instance, and may still be.

the koala is heavily protected in its native australia, back in 2006 it was thought that maybe only 100,000 koalas were left in the wild, (although this varies depending on reports) with this number going down fast, and the fact that the wild groups have been hit with chlamydia over the last 20 years or so, has not helped, nor has the loss of some 80% of the habitat. The disease leaves animals dead, or blind and sterlie. there are two strains of the disease, one is transmitted sexually, and the other via body secretions, which the sick animals leave a trail of on leaves and trees. 

as far as diet goes, in the wild they would browse from 50 different kinds of eucalyptus trees.. they may pick through around 9 kilos of leaves to eventually choose the half kilo or so they will actually eat though, they do have favourites, as any other animal.

i have been told koalas are not as cute as they look either!

i'd look in another direction for a house pet i have to say..

hth

Nerys


----------



## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

did some asking for you also.

the export of koalas from australia is illegal, and any koalas that are in zoos/parks anywhere else in the world, are actually still owned by Australia. there are for instance a few in zoos in the usa, but they held on a loan sort of basis.

(this i am told is the same for golden lion tamerins, who remain the property of brazil, regardless of where they end up in the world)

I'm told London Zoo used to have koalas, but as far as i can find out, there are none in the uk at the moment..

hth

N


----------



## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

And a koala is *NOT A BEAR*!!!! That really irritates me. Shows your complete lack of research into the species.

Maybe you should go back to eating goats... :whistling2:


----------



## cooljules (May 20, 2008)

pet_guy said:


> are koala bears legal in the uk and what are there housing requirements
> types of food and does anyone know of a breeder and a care sheet i cant find one !!!!!!!!!!:2wallbang::2wallbang::2wallbang: if they arent does anyone know of a cute cuddly animal that doesnt rome the house like a raccoon or a skunk.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


yes you can buy them here in the UK, a little bit squarer than the ones still in oz, you can buy them at most shops, just ask for Kola Kubes....

you muppet:censor:


----------



## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Mmmmm kola kubes....lol

Koala's are marsupials aint they?

and I heard they can be pretty nasty too


----------



## glidergirl (Nov 27, 2006)

LMAO!! Sorry ... wine!!

Koala's are a stud book animal! They eat eucalytus ONLY! You wouldn't be able to keep one as a private keeper unless you had permission from the stud book holders AND you could import loads of fresh eucalyptus for them! Quite bluntly, it ain't going to happen! i would dearly love a pair, along with Greater Gliders and Aye Aye. :flrt:

Yes they can be nasty - the claws on their feet are unbelievable and yes they are marsupials. 

Sorry ... wine! :2thumb:


----------



## glidergirl (Nov 27, 2006)

I feel guilty now... sorry, it was your first post!

Basically Koala's are a no no, they would spend most of the time sleeping, they do this because their diet is that bad they need to preserve their energy, hang on ..., just had to snuggle the cat, 

Right, a Koala's diet consists of eucalyptus, they are selective of what leaves they eat, studying each one before it's stuffed in to the mouth, and also what species which changes throughout the seasons.

Koala's would be cute but boring pets (if you could keep them), they sleep for 20 hours a day, feed for 2 to 3 hours and moves about for the other hour! 

As I said in my previous post, it ain't going to happen! Look to something a little more accessible and 'normal' (if there is such a thing). 

Rabbits are cute, furry and so long as they're not house bunnies don't need to free roam the house, or a couple of rats?


----------



## kodakira (Jul 11, 2008)

Just wondering why people are being rude.Its easy to give an answer without being rude.


----------



## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Cuz I am almost positive it's a troll... That's why. A seriously doubt a real person would come on with that list of critters that they are seriously considering.


----------



## cooljules (May 20, 2008)

kodakira said:


> Just wondering why people are being rude.Its easy to give an answer without being rude.


cos no one with half a brain, want one as a pet, even someone who just watches wildlife programmes know they sleep most of the time and have a v v stritct diet. and as no on keeps them as pets, he couldnt find a care sheet, its pretty obvious isnt it...

even my kids wouldnt ask such a stupid question


----------



## kodakira (Jul 11, 2008)

Thought this forum was about helping people and offering advice. :blush:

Don't know how I got it so wrong :blush:


----------



## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

cooljules said:


> cos no one with half a brain, want one as a pet, even someone who just watches wildlife programmes know they sleep most of the time and have a v v stritct diet. and as no on keeps them as pets, he couldnt find a care sheet, its pretty obvious isnt it...
> 
> even my kids wouldnt ask such a stupid question


You mean as opposed to a cold blooded animal that spends a lot of it's time in it's hide such as a Royal Python? Or burrowing snakes that rarely appear above the substrate? Or those arachnid keepers that keep trapdoors that they very rarely see and assume they are alive because the crickets disappear?
I don't see how an animals sleeping/living habits dictate whether or not someone should want to keep it or not. 
Agreed the diet plan may cause issues but not unsurmountable, the only hurdle to keeping Koalas really is the legal one that Nerys has already highlighted. 
As to not knowing that no-one keeps them as pets, we have had a fair few posters on here state they did not know you could keep skunks/lions and such in the past, and I am sure we will see a few more in time. So perhaps it is not such a stupid question after all.


----------



## glidergirl (Nov 27, 2006)

kodakira said:


> Thought this forum was about helping people and offering advice. :blush:
> 
> Don't know how I got it so wrong :blush:


At least I apologised! It was a bit of a daft question though don't you think? And I actually find this to be one of the most unfriendly boards which is why I don't post very often anymore. It USED to be nice but has gone downhill in the past 6 months or so .

Ray - you think the diet would not be insurmountable? The German zoo (can't spell the name) that keeps Koala's flys in fresh eucalyptus from the States (I think it's the States anyway, in fact I'm sure it is  ), not something many people would be able to afford to do!!!


----------



## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

glidergirl said:


> Ray - you think the diet would not be insurmountable? The German zoo (can't spell the name) that keeps Koala's flys in fresh eucalyptus from the States (I think it's the States anyway, in fact I'm sure it is  ), not something many people would be able to afford to do!!!


I never said it would be cheap Marie, just not insurmountable.


----------



## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

just so you no nerys lol that the only 2 in the uk are up here at edinburgh zoo


----------

