Three koalas arrived at Pairi Daiza on Saturday morning, the Zoo announced in a press release. Their arrival, which was initially planned on the 24th of March, was delayed due to the Brussels and Zaventem attacks.
The three marsupials arrived at the Zoo at 7.40 am on Saturday morning. They came from Brisbane, after a journey of 16,000 km. The females, Carina, Coco and Zelda, “are doing really well, and settling into their new surroundings”.
They will be kept in quarantine for a few weeks, but visitors can already see them from outside, through glass panels. The koalas should be able to go outside at the beginning of May at the earliest.
Carina was born in January 2013. She is said to be shy and reserved. Coco, aged 4, is the daughter of Donatella. She is gentle and curious, according to her keepers. Zelda, born in December 2013, has a big personality, and makes her presence felt.
A koala eats on average 200 to 400g of eucalyptus leaves per day. An English tree nursery, approved by an expert, will provide food for them. “Their home is based on where they grew up, and was especially created for them over the Winter”. Their enclose measures 500m², with more than 350m² of outside space.
The marsupials should have arrived in Zaventem on the 24th of March. Their original journey would have gone through neighbouring countries, but they were able to arrive at Brussels Airport directly on Saturday.
The 2016 season at Pairi Daiza started on the 26th of March.
(Source: Belga)
