COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has announced a new addition, a koala joey.
Born
last October to parents Jimmie and Lottie, the baby koala spent nearly seven
months growing in its mother's pouch before fully emerging and making its first
public appearance at the Zoo.
"Koala
joeys start out about the size of a jelly bean and will on average spend six to
seven months nursing and developing in their mother's pouch before they are
ready to begin exploring the outside world – typically one limb at a time or by
poking their head out on occasion," said John Davis, curator of mammals at
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.
After
a few weeks of confidence-building peek-a-boo, joeys are then ready to venture
out completely but will remain very close with mom for several more months,
often riding on her back or clinging to her side. At about a year old, joeys
are mature enough to be fully weaned from their mothers.
This
birth marks the fourth offspring for Jimmie and the sixth for Lottie. Lottie
came to Riverbanks from Australia in October 2003, as a result of a
sister-state relationship between South Carolina and Queensland, Australia.
Jimmie, the father, came to Riverbanks from Los Angeles Zoo in December 2008.
Guests
attending Riverbank's ZOOfari—the Zoo's annual fundraiser hosted by Riverbanks
Society—will have an opportunity to bid on naming the koala joey as part of a
silent auction during the event.
ZOOfari will take place on Friday, September
28. Additional details will be available at www.riverbanks.org.
Copyright 2012 WIS. All rights reserved.
Koala Joey (Source: Ron Brasington)
