Well we are very happy here at Koala Chess Art HQ to be welcoming 6 koalas to the country! Soon 6 of the wonderful marsupials will be flown 10,000 miles from Southern Australia to the UK to make them themselves comfortable in their new home at Longleat Safari Park. We hope they have their neck pillow with them!
The Southern Koalas make this colossal move as part of a breeding programme looking to save the vulnerable species. Despite having thicker fur and weighing twice as much, they are still vulnerable. This is mainly due to a loss in their habitat as their land is cleared for houses, agriculture, factories and roads. So they emigrate to the UK, and we couldn’t be happier to have them!
Longleat Safari Park will be the only organisation outside of Australia to house these wonderful animals for conservation purposes. Known internationally as a proud symbol of Australia, the authorities are hesitant to send them abroad. But they aren’t the only ones arriving.
With the five females and one male will be two hairy-nosed wombats - another Australian marsupial that is sadly endangered. After being hunted for food by dingos - a wild dog also found in Australia - their population numbers dwindled and now they are only found in captivity. But do not mistake them for being weak! These northern wombats are the world’s largest burrowing herbivore and can run 40 kilometres an hour in short spurts. That’s pretty fast!
Wombats aren't weak, and neither is this weightlifting Koala
If you’re looking for more facts about Koalas, however, we have them right here for you in our Koala Facts blog.
So, here’s to the arrival of our new Koalas. We can think of a way to keep them occupied on their journey…
1 comment
Good to see those koalas playing chess on a long plane flight! We hope they have settled in, along with the hairy nosed wombats.