An Australian koala perched in a gum tree overlooking the scenery

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It’s Wild Koala Day!

Today, on Wild Koala Day, we celebrate one of the most quintessentially Australian animals. Beloved not just by locals, but countless around the globe, the marsupial spends many a day napping and snacking on eucalyptus leaves. Started by a group of non-profit Koala-centric charities, Wild Koala Day is designed not only to celebrate the koala, but to also help raise awareness for the protection of their habitats.

This is especially true after a nationwide bushfire emergency saw more than 12 million hectares of Australian land burn, taking with it much of the animal’s natural habitat. Thanks to the generous efforts of those within Australia and abroad, however, over $7 million was raised for the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital in New South Wales, helping aid injured Koalas before eventually guiding them back into the wild.