The koalas at Taronga Zoo are getting picky at feeding time

Australia’s most laid-back marsupials have no problem eating their greens, so long as they are the right ones.

Australia’s most laid-back marsupials have no problem eating their greens, so long as they are the right ones.

The koalas at Taronga Zoo are getting picky at mealtime and having keepers run across the state to collect different types of eucalyptus leaves for them to eat.

“Koalas eat eucalyptus exclusively. They’re very fussy with the species of eucalyptus they eat (and) they love the tender new growth at the tip of the branch,” koala keeper Amy Guilfoyle said.

“We have a dedicated browse team that maintains and selects our koala food from a plantation where we sustainably grow a variety of our koalas favourite eucalyptus species as well as several other locations across Sydney.”

Koalas are notoriously fussy eaters and only like to eat from 50 of over 700 varieties of eucalypts. Picture: Toby Zerna

Ella enjoys some freshly picked eucalyptus leaves. Picture: Toby Zerna

Similar to humans, koalas start to get selective with their food after having the same type of leaf day-after-day meaning carers are constantly on the lookout for any leftover leaves to know when to switch it up.

“Just like humans, koalas get sick of eating the same thing over and over again, so we ensure to collect at least three different species of eucalyptus each day, so they always have variety and choice,” Ms Guilfoyle said.

“Each morning we check the branches from the previous days feed to see what they liked and what they didn’t like, and we watch to see what they go for first when we put fresh food in daily.

“They definitely let us know if our selection isn’t up to standards.”

Taronga Zoo keeper Simon Brown tries to feed Ella some freshly picked eucalyptus leaves. Picture: Toby Zerna

Taronga Zoo keeper Simon Brown with Humphrey the koala. Picture: Toby Zerna

Dr Ben Moore from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University said it wasn’t so much about koalas being fussy but rather them determining which leaves might contains toxins and cause them to feel unwell.

“Koalas learn to recognise that. They can sniff them out and tell the good from the bad. By the time they rule out stuff that’s toxic that leaves a smaller selection,” Dr Moore said.

“There are 800 different eucalyptus species, and they only eat less than 100 of them. It’s mostly about getting the protein (from the leaves).

“Individual koalas have their preferences, just like people. They like to mix it up a bit.”

A regular koala diet normally consists of munching on around half a kilo of eucalyptus leaves a day for three to four hours while the other 20 hours are usually spent sleeping.