The National Zoo announced a growth in their furry family with the arrival of a new koala joey.
The small bundle of fur was still in mum's pouch on Tuesday morning, big eyes and tiny paws grasping after their morning meal.
Koalas are born very underdeveloped after only a 36-day pregnancy and remain in the mother's pouch as a jelly bean-sized embryo.
They spend the next five to six months growing until an arm or a leg or even a head pops out.
The joey, born to mum Matilda and dad Bailey, first made itself known on Mother's Day earlier this year.
The pair of koalas are part of the zoo's captive breeding program and conservation efforts.
They were transferred from Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
The two sister koalas are named Namadgi and Kirra, both local Indigenous names.
Keepers are expected to name the joey, and will likely also choose an Indigenous name.
The keepers are unable to determine the baby's gender yet because they are concerned that removing them from mum for too long may cause stress or rejection of the joey.
But the joey is eight months old now and becoming more and more active.
They've been able to start weighing the baby, who is now a healthy 650 grams.
The public is encouraged to visit the joey, with animal care manager Sophie Dentrinos recommending morning and afternoon during feeding times when they're most active.
"If you come to the zoo first thing, make your way down to the koala enclosure. And then kind of around 3 o'clock onwards from the afternoon for their next feed," she said.
Ms Dentrinos said the koalas were ambassadors for the plight of their species, stressing the dire circumstances they faced in recent years.
After the bushfires in 2019 and 2020, koalas were considered an endangered species. In south-eastern Australia there are only about 80,000 koalas left.
"A hundred years ago they estimate the numbers [of koalas] were over a million," Ms Dentrinos said.
Deforestation and habitat loss are some of the main issues affecting the species.
Car strikes and disease are also significant challenges.
"If you fragment [their habitat] into all these tiny little pockets, then obviously they're going to come out at some point.
"They're going to get hit by cars.
"They're going to have no food left."
Ms Dentrinos recommended contacting local wildlife services if you hit an animal or see one on the road. Access Canberra can also organise for a ranger to attend as quickly as possible.
She encouraged people to not "turn a blind eye" to wildlife hit by cars. She said, where safe, to move the animal off the road.
Even if it seemed dead, wildlife services would make sure there isn't a saveable young joey.
"One of the biggest things that happens is mum gets killed and has a joey inside.
"There's a little joey in there, you know, defenceless, no one knows about it, and it's just starving inside.
"Make sure that everything that could be done has been done for those animals."
- To report injured native animals call Access Canberra 13 22 81, RSPCA 6287 8100 or ACT Wildlife 0432 300 033.
