This young koala is climbing too high for its own good, according to its volunteer caretakers. But he seemed under control to me with his two thumbs, three fingers and long claws gripping the thin branch of the eucalyptus tree. There are about ten residents coalescing at the koala hospital at present, recovering from incidents ranging from car accidents to curvature of the spine. The wild koala population is "threatened", and has decreased by an estimated 90% in the last decade due primarily to loss of habitat from urbanization and also natural causes like bush fires. Even local residents keep a rope in their pool in case a koala gets in and needs help getting out. Koalas are not bears, rather they belong to the marsupial family along with the kangaroo and wombat.
