Koalas Indoors?

AnaheimZoo

AnaheimZoo

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
I'm yet to find a thread where this was previously discussed, so I thought I'd start a new, separate thread stating my idea/question. To start:

Koalas, from various exhibit photos that I've seen, appear to be displayed in similar ways. The ground of the exhibit is lowered so that the tree-tops are level with guests, allowing perfect (or better) viewing of the koalas. Shade structures are also usually added above the trees for guests' and animals' satisfaction. I realize these are only photos I'm looking at, so I may not have a clear sense of the exhibit, but it doesn't seem to me that koala exhibits are very creative, or maybe it's just that I haven't looked hard enough. So, if anyone has any interesting koala exhibits they'd like to show me/recommend, please post a thread link! :)

Now to my question:
Has any zoo ever kept koalas indoors? No, I don't mean under small huts, and no, I'm sure koalas have indoor holding areas in plenty of zoos. I mean has a zoo ever had a walk-through jungle/forest complex with koalas in it? Because I was thinking if I exhibited koalas in my [very ambitious] zoo, they would be in a walk-through complex similar to Minnesota Zoo's Tropic Trails, particularly Asia, where red pandas have an open tree-top enclosure (most notably a mixed species one w/ gorals! http://www.zoochat.com/584/minnesota-zoo-2010-front-mixed-exhibit-190952/) to roam somewhat freely in. I love mixed species exhibits with koalas, and I figure if they were in an open forest exhibit with various Australian birds, it'd make for a stunning enclosure! I've also heard of multi-species exhibits w/ koalas, wallabies and other interesting combinations, so if you have any feel free to share!

If this has been done, kindly tell me where. :p If you have any thoughts about my idea (likes, dislikes, your personal recommendations such as possible species combinations, or even your thoughtful explanations of why it possibly wouldn't work), I'd be happy to hear them. :D

AnaheimZoo
 
AnaheimZoo said:
I'm yet to find a thread where this was previously discussed, so I thought I'd start a new, separate thread stating my idea/question. To start:


If this has been done, kindly tell me where. :p If you have any thoughts about my idea (likes, dislikes, your personal recommendations such as possible species combinations, or even your thoughtful explanations of why it possibly wouldn't work), I'd be happy to hear them. :D

AnaheimZoo
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The LA Zoo kept their koalas inside a building for a couple of decades (1980s-early 2000s). The building was somewhat like you are describing, except it was a nocturnal house so the koalas would presumably be more active that in a daylight exhibit. It was a multi-species exhibit with echidnas and rat kangaroos running around the ground level of the exhibit.

The koalas are now kept outside, and my understanding is that this is actually better for them than being inside all day due to having exposure to sunlight. The inside exhibit was okay. It was cool seeing echidnas running around. From you user name I assume that you want to build your dream zoo in Anaheim? The basic premise of your exhibit has been tried in Southern California and no longer is used. Others may have different opinions to share about the viability/desirability of indoor koala exhibits. It would certainly make more sense in colder climates. Southern California isn't that different climate-wise from natural koala habitat, so an indoor exhibit doesn't make much sense.
 
Koalas sleep for around 20 hours a day. Put them in an exhibit like you've suggested and they will climb to the top of the trees, curl up in a fork, and sleep. All visitors will see (if they see anything) is a grey piece of fur in a fork. Not very exciting, and for people wanting to see the cute animal they've longed to see, a big let down too.

That's why koalas are viewed from elevated platforms, are exhibited in sunken enclosures, or are placed in trees or climbing structures no more than 3 metres high - so when you look at the ball of fur you can make out a hand or a foot, or maybe even a face, without getting a sore neck.

:p

Hix
 
jbnbsn99 said:
In the US, you are required to keep Koalas indoors.
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Maybe at night, but San Diego, San Franciso and other zoos all have koalas outdoors for most of the year.
 
Out of the 7 zoos in Europe that keep Queensland koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) at least the exhibits I have seen in Duisburg Zoo, Planckendael and Tiergarten Schönbrunn are all indoors. I am not sure about Beauval, Lisbon, Madrid and Edinburgh though I imagine it is a similar setting.
 
DavidBrown said:
The LA Zoo kept their koalas inside a building for a couple of decades (1980s-early 2000s). The building was somewhat like you are describing, except it was a nocturnal house so the koalas would presumably be more active that in a daylight exhibit. It was a multi-species exhibit with echidnas and rat kangaroos running around the ground level of the exhibit.

The koalas are now kept outside, and my understanding is that this is actually better for them than being inside all day due to having exposure to sunlight. The inside exhibit was okay. It was cool seeing echidnas running around. From you user name I assume that you want to build your dream zoo in Anaheim? The basic premise of your exhibit has been tried in Southern California and no longer is used. Others may have different opinions to share about the viability/desirability of indoor koala exhibits. It would certainly make more sense in colder climates. Southern California isn't that different climate-wise from natural koala habitat, so an indoor exhibit doesn't make much sense.
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Yes, your assumption was correct, but the odds of my zoo actually being in Anaheim (that is, if I even end up building one :rolleyes:) are... or rather, the odds of me building it elsewhere are just as likely. But I understand, the climate's perfect, so why not use that to your advantage? Although, the idea of koalas in a nocturnal exhibit sounds really cool and would be something that I'd want to see. Thanks.
 
Toddy said:
Out of the 7 zoos in Europe that keep Queensland koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) at least the exhibits I have seen in Duisburg Zoo, Planckendael and Tiergarten Schönbrunn are all indoors. I am not sure about Beauval, Lisbon, Madrid and Edinburgh though I imagine it is a similar setting.
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Duisburg had one Koala in an outdoor area when I visited last year (to the right of the ramp you walk up to enter the exhibit). Edinburgh does have an outside area but I've never seen them in it (then again my three visits to date have been in May, not the warmest part of the year).
 
Hix said:
Koalas sleep for around 20 hours a day. Put them in an exhibit like you've suggested and they will climb to the top of the trees, curl up in a fork, and sleep. All visitors will see (if they see anything) is a grey piece of fur in a fork. Not very exciting, and for people wanting to see the cute animal they've longed to see, a big let down too.

That's why koalas are viewed from elevated platforms, are exhibited in sunken enclosures, or are placed in trees or climbing structures no more than 3 metres high - so when you look at the ball of fur you can make out a hand or a foot, or maybe even a face, without getting a sore neck.

:p

Hix
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So no matter what, koalas will be koalas and koalas are, in a sense, lazy. Am I right? Not that they choose to be, they just don't do much. :D That's why I figured I'd add a few exotic birds and other mammals (possibly rat-kangaroos or something) to give guests something else to look at when the koalas were inactive. Thanks, Hix, and btw, what are some of the best exhibits you've seen?
 
I too have never seen the koalas at Edinburgh zoo in their outside enclosure the zoo's former lion rock enclosure.
London zoo, when they had a couple in the 90's, held them totally indoors in the venerable former great ape building.
 
jbnbsn99 said:
In the US, you are required to keep Koalas indoors.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on this? Is this a San Diego Zoo requirement for loaning koalas to other zoos? I thought that most of the koalas outside of California were on loan from the San Diego Zoo colony. Does anyone know if this is the case? LA and San Francisco have independent groups from San Diego.

LA's public exhibit is completely outdoors. As snowleopard suggested I think that there are indoor night quarters, but these are off public exhibit.

San Diego has a few indoor exhibits, but most of the koalas are in outdoor yards.

San Francisco has outdoor yards and an indoor facility with one viewing area. There are times of the year when it is too cold for them outside, but much of the time they are outside.
 
DavidBrown said:
Southern California isn't that different climate-wise from natural koala habitat, so an indoor exhibit doesn't make much sense.
Click to expand...

For an indoor exhibit located elsewhere, does having skylights and allowing sunlight to reach the exhibit provide the same (or similar) climate that a regular outdoor exhibit in Southern California would?
I guess I'm starting to think (if the zoo wasn't in a warmer state) of something similar to Henry Doorly Zoo's Desert Dome, where all light is provided by natural sunlight, adding to the recreated habitat realism. Now I don't necessarily mean an entire dome built just for koalas, I'm thinking only a few skylights above the trees, like in picture mstickmanp posted (seen here: http://www.zoochat.com/941/koala-exhibits-202154/.) Would this, despite not having the everyday warmth of a Southern California city, be just as good in recreating the temperate forests of Australia?
 
Sorry, yeah I should elaborate. It is a SD requirement that zoos receiving Koalas from them have exacting indoor exhibits built just for them.
 
AnaheimZoo said:
For an indoor exhibit located elsewhere, does having skylights and allowing sunlight to reach the exhibit provide the same (or similar) climate that a regular outdoor exhibit in Southern California would?
I guess I'm starting to think (if the zoo wasn't in a warmer state) of something similar to Henry Doorly Zoo's Desert Dome, where all light is provided by natural sunlight, adding to the recreated habitat realism. Now I don't necessarily mean an entire dome built just for koalas, I'm thinking only a few skylights above the trees, like in picture mstickmanp posted (seen here: http://www.zoochat.com/941/koala-exhibits-202154/.) Would this, despite not having the everyday warmth of a Southern California city, be just as good in recreating the temperate forests of Australia?
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The skylights by themselves wouldn't do much. The issue of what are the external temperatures and how will the building interior be cooled or heated (or both) is the same as for any building. Skylights often complicate that.

Your big hurdle is coming up with the browse for them. If you stray from Southern CA it gets expensive in the US.
 
AnaheimZoo said:
So no matter what, koalas will be koalas and koalas are, in a sense, lazy. Am I right? Not that they choose to be, they just don't do much. :D
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Their diet is very poor nutritionally, and it takes a long time to digest - as a result they have one of the largest caeca of any mammal (for their size), and can retain food for further digestion for up to 10 days in the hindgut. Most of the leaves are fibre, and the koala sleeps, not because it's lazy, but because there is little energy derived from the leaves. There's also some very nasty toxins that need to be broken down.

AnaheimZoo said:
and btw, what are some of the best exhibits you've seen?
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Kangaroo Island.

:p

Hix
 
Blackduiker

DavidBrown said:
Can you elaborate on this? Is this a San Diego Zoo requirement for loaning koalas to other zoos? I thought that most of the koalas outside of California were on loan from the San Diego Zoo colony. Does anyone know if this is the case? LA and San Francisco have independent groups from San Diego.

LA's public exhibit is completely outdoors. As snowleopard suggested I think that there are indoor night quarters, but these are off public exhibit.

San Diego has a few indoor exhibits, but most of the koalas are in outdoor yards.

San Francisco has outdoor yards and an indoor facility with one viewing area. There are times of the year when it is too cold for them outside, but much of the time they are outside.
Click to expand...

The Koalas exhibited in Los Angeles have always come directly from Australia, saving maybe a few from San Diego on short term loan. They were required by their Australian zoo sources to start exhibiting their animals outdoors in recent years before acquiring more specimens. Their night quarters are still located behind the old Koala House, as far as I'm aware, and are known as "The Koala Hilton" due to them being funded by that corporation. I worked there temporarily in 1985 while taking the Zookeepers training class.
 
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