Yahoo – AFP,
August 22, 2017
 |
| This undated handout from the Australia Zoo received on August 22, 2017 shows a white koala joey on her mother Tia at the Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast |
A koala at
an Australian zoo has given birth to a rare white joey, staff announced
Tuesday.
Handlers at
the Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast say the pale animal born in January
owes its white fur to a recessive gene inherited from mother Tia.
The mother
has given birth to light-coloured joeys in the past.
"In
veterinary science it’s often referred to as the 'silvering gene' where animals
are born with white or very pale fur and, just like baby teeth, they eventually
shed their baby fur and the regular adult colouration comes through," said
the zoo's wildlife hospital director Rosie Booth in a statement.
Koala fur
differs in colour -- from light grey to brown -- depending on their
environment. Animals in the south of Australia tend to have thicker and darker
fur than those in the north.
But a white
koala is incredibly rare, Booth said, and "quite unfortunate" if born
in the wild, since it is more visible to predators.
The
much-loved koala has been under increasing threat across Australia in recent
decades, particularly from habitat loss, disease, dog attacks and bushfires.
The joey is
yet to be named and Tourism Australia is set to encourage suggestions.
No comments:
Post a Comment