KEY POINTS

  • The Australian Reptile Park shared a video of its first baby koala since the bushfires
  • Named Ash, the joey is said to be a sign of hope for Australian wildlife
  • The facility is set to open June 1 after months of closure due to the coronavirus

A wildlife park in Australia just welcomed its first baby koala after the devastating bushfires. The joey, aptly named Ash, is said to be a sign of hope for Australia's wildlife.

On Tuesday, the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby shared a video on Facebook, announcing its first koala joey since the devastating bushfires that ravaged Australia, from late 2019 to early 2020, and caused the death of wildlife, including many koalas.

"We have a very special announcement... Our very first koala of the season has popped out of Mums pouch to say hello!" the caption said. "Ash is the first koala born at the park since the tragic Australian bushfires and is a sign of hope for the future of Australia's native wildlife."

In the video, Ash's mother, Rosie, embraces her human caregiver and Ash can later be seen poking her head out of Rosie's pouch.

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.

Global News reported Ash was actually born last January, but it was safe only recently to check on her because joeys tend to stay in their mothers' pouches for up to seven months.

Newborn joeys are just about the size of a jellybean at 2 centimeters small. Blind and hairless, joeys make their way to their mothers' pouch all on their own and attach themselves to a teat. While inside the pouch, they only drink their mothers' milk, slowly growing and developing.

It is only at about six to seven months old they begin to wean off their mothers' milk and start eating gum leaves.

Since Ash is just a few months old, it is likely she will remain in her mother’s pouch for a few more months. Typically, it is at 12 months that joeys leave their mothers' pouches to find their own homes.

Along with the koalas that were re-released into the wild after being rescued and treated for their bushfire injuries, Ash's emergence from her mother's pouch marks a hopeful milestone for Australian wildlife recovery.

The Australian Reptile Park is set to open its doors once again June 1, after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

An orphaned baby koala clings to the shoulder of a vet at a makeshift field hospital at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
An orphaned baby koala clings to the shoulder of a vet at a makeshift field hospital at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park AFP / PETER PARKS
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