The Koala

Koalas live high up in eucalyptus trees of native bushlands and forests, found only in Australia. Eucalyptus leaves are low in nutrients and, as a result, koalas need more sleep than most animals in order to help them conserve energy. Current threats include continued habitat destruction, bushfires, and disease as well as drought associated mortality in habitat fragments. All this also makes them vulnerable to predatory dogs, vehicle strikes etc. More recently, it has also been discovered that bats are acting as flying carriers for viruses which can also severely threaten koala populations.