As part of my trip to the San Diego Zoo in November, I agreed to produce a piece of art to help raise funds and awareness of the Koala. The San Diego Zoo has the largest koala population and the most successful breeding program outside of Australia.
Though often called the "koala bear," this cuddly animal is not a bear at all; it is a marsupial, or pouched mammal. After birth, a female carries a single baby in its pouch for about six months. When the infant emerges, it rides on its mother's back or clings to her belly, accompanying her everywhere until it is about a year old.Koalas live in eastern Australia, where the eucalyptus trees they love are most plentiful. In fact, they rarely leave these trees, and their sharp claws and opposable digits easily keep them aloft. During the day they doze, tucked into forks or nooks in the trees, sleeping for up to 18 hours.
These plump, fuzzy mammals were widely hunted during the 1920s and 1930s, and their populations plunged. Helped by reintroduction, they have reappeared over much of their former range, but their populations are smaller and scattered. Koalas need a lot of space—about 100 trees per animal—a pressing problem as Australia's woodlands continue to shrink.
The Koala's status is currently considered "Threatened".
The finished art piece is available through auction at http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?auctionId=103042933
