I understand Australia is from last year's Shanghai World Expo. In Australian Museum, I learned many thing of Australia like land area, population, culture, customs and habits,animals and so on. Which i most interested in is animal. I love the koala best. I think koala is the most happy animal.
But do you exactly knows what is a koala?
The koala is a small bear-like, tree-dwelling animal, which averages about 9 kilograms in weight. Its fur is thick and usually ash gray.
The koala gets its name from an ancient Aboriginal word ,meaning "no drink", because it receives over 90% of its water from the Eucalyptus leaves (also known as gum leaves) it eats, and only drinks when ill or when there is not enough moisture in the leaves.
Habitat
'Habitat' refers to the types of bush land that koalas like to live in. They are found in a range of habitats, from coastal islands and tall eucalypt forests to low woodlands inland.
Koalas today are found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Koalas live in societies, just like humans, so they need to be able to come into contact with other koalas. It is because of this they need to have areas of suitable eucalypt forest, which are large enough to support a healthy koala population and to allow expansion by raising young koalas.
It is pity that Australian koalas could be wiped out within 30 years unless urgent action is taken to halt a decline in population, according to researchers.
They say development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to send the numbers of wild koalas plummeting.
The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years.
Many have been killed by the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.
Previous estimates put the number of koalas at more than 100,000 - but the latest calculations suggest there could now be as few as 43,000.
The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. KOALAS UNDER THREAT
In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching.
The foundation said as well as problems caused by deforestation, hotter, drier conditions attributed to global warming had reduced the nutritional value of their staple food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to malnutrition.
Koalas, which are confined to forests in Australia's east and south, are notoriously fussy about what types of the leaves they eat.
Foundation chief Deborah Tabart said: "The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It's really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees you don't have any koalas."
Death added
She is hoping the new figures will persuade the government's Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened.
But committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely until mid-2010 - and the koala's status as one of the country's favourite animals would not be a factor.
Here,now, i mention this is hope that people can pay more attention to the koala, do not let these lovely animals, human friend, become homeless. I believe that we can peacefully in the earth homeland and find a balance of humankind and animals.。