Australian Reptile Park koala baby name competition launched

The Australian Reptile Park has launched a global campaign to name what might possibly be the most unBEARably cute koala in the known universe. If you hate cute DO NOT watch this video.

The Australian Reptile Park has launched a global campaign to name what might possibly be the most unBEARably cute koala in the known universe.

Koala keeper Hayley Shute is raising a newborn koala joey after the mother was unable to provide milk and nutrition for the joey.

6-month-old male koala joey looking for a name. Picture: Toby Zerna

Keepers had found the joey at just the right time and Ms Shute has taken the tiny ball of fluff under her wing for a second chance at life.

The koala is beginning to show his cheeky personality and this prompted the park to launch a worldwide naming competition to find the perfect fit for him.

Ms Shute is no stranger to being a mother to a koala. A mother of three children herself, it is quite the challenge.

“Koala joeys require 24 hours of care, supervision and five bottles of a special milk formula a day. I can’t tell you the last time I’ve had a proper night’s sleep,” she said.

Australian Reptile Park koala curator Hayley Shute with a 6-month-old male koala joey. Picture: Toby Zerna

The koala joey will feed from the bottle from the next 4-6 months until he becomes independent enough to eat eucalyptus leaves and eventually reintroduced into the koala yard.

General Manager Tim Faulkner said he hoped the competition would find a suitable name for the koala, but also raise awareness of the threats to the koala species as a whole.

“If even one person takes the time to look into the conversation and protection of koalas due to this, we would have done our job,” Mr Faulkner said.

The Australian Reptile Park has launched a global campaign to name a joey Koala. Picture: Australian Reptile Park.

Mr Faulkner said the koala joey would act as an ambassador for the koala species and Australia’s native wildlife. “Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate on earth. With over 40 mammals alone extinct, Australia is an incredibly important region as so many of our species are found here, and nowhere else on the entire planet. 87% of our mammals, 93% of our Reptiles, 94% frogs and 45% birds are only found in Australia and we must protect them,” he said.

Australian Reptile park manager Tim Faulkner with a koala. . Picture by Mark Scott

“At the current rate of decline, koalas are on track to become completely extinct by 2050.

“Koala numbers have plummeted by a third in the 20 years between 1990 and 2010 due to habitat destruction, deforestation, fragmentation, cars and dogs.

“The Australian Reptile Park has a population of over 30 koalas and is expanding with plans to move into a koala conservation project in the coming years that specifically assists the wild population.

“With the park breaking records of their breeding numbers, they will not stop until more is done to protect the iconic species.”