koala

[pet_guy]

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 !!!!!!!!!! if they arent does anyone know of a cute cuddly animal that doesnt rome the house like a raccoon or a skunk.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fenwoman]

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]

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 )

[kodakira]

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

[Nerys]

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]

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]

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...

[cooljules]

Originally Posted by pet_guy

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 !!!!!!!!!! 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

[Sarah-Jayne]

Mmmmm kola kubes....lol

Koala's are marsupials aint they?

and I heard they can be pretty nasty too

[glidergirl]

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.

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

Sorry ... wine!