Ohio zoo welcomes first baby koala in 15 years

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed a baby koala, its first in 15 years.

>> Read more trending news

The joey has successfully developed inside the mother Katy’s pouch since it was born July 5, the zoo said Tuesday.

“Unlike other mammals that develop in their mothers’ wombs, marsupial babies have to make their way from the birth canal to their mothers’ pouch,” the zoo said. “The good news is that Katy’s joey has already achieved this major milestone.”

Currently the joey is finely furred and about the size of a softball. A tiny arm or leg might appear out of Katy’s pouch as the joey continues to grow.

Katy was paired with Thoar, and were both born in 2015 at the San Diego Zoo. They arrived at the Columbus Zoo in 2017.

This is the first koala born at the zoo since 2006 and the third since 1991.

Koalas are considered a “vulnerable” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Endangered Species.

Cox Media Group