Koala: Longleat safari park welcome southern koala joey

The first southern koala has been born at Longleat safari park in Wiltshire, England.

The joey was born six months ago and spent life safely inside mum Violet's pouch, until recently when they have started to pop out and see the outside world.

The team at Longleat is very excited as having a baby is something they were hoping for when they brought Violet over from Australia in 2018.

Longleat have been working with the Government of South Australia and Cleland Wildlife Park to support research and raise money for koala conservation.

Koala keeper James Dennis said, "It has been a long and complicated process, but this birth is really important for a number of reasons.

"As well as helping to raise awareness of the southern koala and the threats it faces in the wild, it is also teaching us so much about the species' complex lifecycle."

The koala centre at Longleat has a natural stream, climbing poles, indoor and outdoor habitats, viewing areas, a medical care unit and most importantly of all, koala's favourite eucalyptus trees.

There are two types of koala, northern and southern. Violet and the joey are southern, which are usually a bit bigger and hairier than their northern cousins.

Koala's natural habitat is in danger. Climate change is increasing the risk of hot and dry weather which then make wildfires worse. This means their home are sometimes destroyed.

A study last year found that the number of koalas in Australia had dropped by nearly 30 percent.

The little joey has been eating pap, which is recycled koala poo from their mum! The leaves have gone through Violet and all the toxins have been taken out of the leaf in the process so it's safe for the joey to enjoy and it gets them used to the leaves they will eat in the future.

As the joey begins to grow, it will start to leave the pouch more and explore but it will mostly rely on its mum until it's about a year old.