It’s a boy! Two feet and four thumbs, a welcome addition

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo’s koala family grows

Four thumbs up! Today, zookeepers at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour held a special celebration, cutting into a custom-made koala cake to reveal that Sydney’s latest and most adorable koala joey, is a boy!

The arrival of the yet-to-be-named male is a testament to the zoo's commitment to conserving these Endangered marsupials through a nationally coordinated breeding effort.

Koala Keeper at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Lily Williams, expressed her excitement, saying, "Our koala family has grown by two feet and four thumbs. We are over the moon to welcome this little chap to WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo. So far, he has met all his expected milestones, and we can’t wait to see his personality really come out over the coming months."

“This joey will play his part in supporting future breeding efforts for this iconic species. Australia’s wild koala population was declared Endangered in February 2022, granting the species greater protection and increased efforts by conservation groups, including zoos including ours, is vital to safeguard their future,” added Lily.

After spending his first six months of his life snuggled in his mum Scarlet’s pouch, the joey can now regularly be spotted hitching a ride on her back and is ready to delight zoo guests from across the globe.

Guests can get up close to the zoo’s six resident koalas by participating in a Breakfast with the Koalas Experience which includes a zookeeper-led guided tour, hot buffet breakfast and take-home photo alongside the koalas.