News & Media
PHOENIX ZOO WELCOMES KOALAS
Sooky and Kobi will reside at the Phoenix Zoo for the next six months
PHOENIX (September 23, 2010) – You don’t have to travel to the land down under to see cute, cuddly and furry koalas. Our Aussie friends have arrived at the Phoenix Zoo!
The Phoenix Zoo is welcoming the adorable pair from the San Diego Zoo with a special Members Only Preview on Saturday and Sunday, September 25th and 26th. The general public is invited to join in the celebration with a Grand Opening on Sunday, October 3rd.
Two year old Sooky, and her four year old brother Kobi will call the Phoenix Zoo home for the next six months. The koalas are on loan from the San Diego Zoo through the zoo’s Koala Education and Conservation loan program which supports koala conservation in their natural habitats through collaboration with Australian authorities, various conservation organizations and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Koala Species Survival Plan.
“Sooky is very personable and Kobi is more shy and reserved”, says Jennifer Roesler, senior koala keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Roesler traveled with the koalas here to Phoenix, and Amy Evans, a Phoenix zookeeper, spent two weeks learning all about them under the careful watch of Jennifer in San Diego. “I will stay here in Phoenix until I feel that Sooky and Kobi are settling into their new habitat. Amy is doing a great job taking care of them and they seem to already be adjusting well.”
The Zoo has renovated an existing building on the Nina Mason Pulliam Children’s Trail. The building had to meet strict standards and be inspected and approved by the San Diego Zoo and the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA).
“We are very proud of the collaborative effort between the Phoenix Zoo, San Diego Zoo and Australian authorities, ” says Dan Subaitis, Director of Animal Management for the Phoenix Zoo. “All of these organizations have come together to ensure that the care, comfort and creation of their first class accommodations have been the number one priority.”
Even though the koala is often referred to as a bear because of its stout body, round tufted ears, and dark nose, it belongs to the marsupial family, which includes the kangaroo, wallaby and opossum. Marsupials are distinguished from other mammals by a pouch that aids in the rearing of their offspring. Koalas are cute, but very finicky. They only eat eucalyptus, and only the tips. Koalas also receive all of their water through the eucalyptus. The Phoenix Zoo has lined up a supply of eucalyptus that will be delivered twice a week from a grower in Tonopah.
Sooky and Kobi will make their debut this weekend to Phoenix Zoo members beginning at 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and then will be unveiled to the general public on Sunday, October 3rd at 9 a.m.
About the Phoenix Zoo The Phoenix Zoo is a non-profit zoological park that serves 1.5 million guests annually. Home to more than 1, 300 animals and many endangered and threatened species, the Zoo is dedicated to providing experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world. For more information about the Zoo and upcoming events visit phoenixzoo.org.
PHOENIX (September 23, 2010) – You don’t have to travel to the land down under to see cute, cuddly and furry koalas. Our Aussie friends have arrived at the Phoenix Zoo!
The Phoenix Zoo is welcoming the adorable pair from the San Diego Zoo with a special Members Only Preview on Saturday and Sunday, September 25th and 26th. The general public is invited to join in the celebration with a Grand Opening on Sunday, October 3rd.
Two year old Sooky, and her four year old brother Kobi will call the Phoenix Zoo home for the next six months. The koalas are on loan from the San Diego Zoo through the zoo’s Koala Education and Conservation loan program which supports koala conservation in their natural habitats through collaboration with Australian authorities, various conservation organizations and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Koala Species Survival Plan.
“Sooky is very personable and Kobi is more shy and reserved”, says Jennifer Roesler, senior koala keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Roesler traveled with the koalas here to Phoenix, and Amy Evans, a Phoenix zookeeper, spent two weeks learning all about them under the careful watch of Jennifer in San Diego. “I will stay here in Phoenix until I feel that Sooky and Kobi are settling into their new habitat. Amy is doing a great job taking care of them and they seem to already be adjusting well.”
The Zoo has renovated an existing building on the Nina Mason Pulliam Children’s Trail. The building had to meet strict standards and be inspected and approved by the San Diego Zoo and the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA).
“We are very proud of the collaborative effort between the Phoenix Zoo, San Diego Zoo and Australian authorities, ” says Dan Subaitis, Director of Animal Management for the Phoenix Zoo. “All of these organizations have come together to ensure that the care, comfort and creation of their first class accommodations have been the number one priority.”
Even though the koala is often referred to as a bear because of its stout body, round tufted ears, and dark nose, it belongs to the marsupial family, which includes the kangaroo, wallaby and opossum. Marsupials are distinguished from other mammals by a pouch that aids in the rearing of their offspring. Koalas are cute, but very finicky. They only eat eucalyptus, and only the tips. Koalas also receive all of their water through the eucalyptus. The Phoenix Zoo has lined up a supply of eucalyptus that will be delivered twice a week from a grower in Tonopah.
Sooky and Kobi will make their debut this weekend to Phoenix Zoo members beginning at 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and then will be unveiled to the general public on Sunday, October 3rd at 9 a.m.
About the Phoenix Zoo The Phoenix Zoo is a non-profit zoological park that serves 1.5 million guests annually. Home to more than 1, 300 animals and many endangered and threatened species, the Zoo is dedicated to providing experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world. For more information about the Zoo and upcoming events visit phoenixzoo.org.
