Koalas can be found in coastal areas of the mainland’s eastern and southern regions, in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The koala gets its name from an ancient Aboriginal word meaning “no drink” however koalas are drinking much more water than they used to—and it’s likely because of increasingly hot, dry weather. Australia’s most recent summer (December 2016 to February 2017) brought record-breaking heat across much of the country.
For more on how koalas are affected by climate change take a look at Sydney University’s research.
This image is available on Redbubble and was selected as a featured image in both the “Close-Ups in Nature” group and the “Nature in its Entirety” group.
Photo taken at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
Photos by KirstyB 