Young Male Koala Balyang

koala balyang young cute

Balyang is a beautiful local Wathaurong/Wada wurrung language word meaning “Bat”. We hope he has all the intelligence, bravery and freedom of a bat his whole life.

He is a big boy, like his father. Good-looking too. Given a bit of luck, he should do very well.

koala joey balyang with mother
Koala joey Balyang cuddling with his mother Kozo in September 2020

Family Tree:

Balyang (m) b Jan 2020, Indi (f) b 2019
|
Kozo Mabo
MOTHER FATHER
|
KiKi – Cruiz?
GRANDMOTHER GRANDFATHER
|
YuYu – ??
GREAT-GRANDMOTHER ?GREAT-GRANDFATHER

koala joey with mother
Koala joey Balyang looking pleased with himself beside his mother

How often do we see him?

He was seen 11 times in 2020, his birth year. This is fairly normal – we saw his mother Kozo 37 times that year, and he only emerged from her pouch in July. During 2021 we only saw him once, but our research days were hugely reduced due to COVID: from 310+ days in 2019 to 50 in 2021.

Who does he share his habitat with?

Last time he was seen he was exploring. He was over near KiKi, his grandmother and dangerously close to Gulkurguli, the dominant male.

young wild koala male Balyang
Koala Balyang at 11 months old – already a big boy.

How is climate change affecting him?

For a young male koala, life is a challenge. All the suitable habitats are taken by big strong mature males. Until he reaches adult size he will have to find a safe, unclaimed territory where he can grow. Before climate change there was enough habitat to go around for most of the young males to find a nook of their own. But now life is hard, the eucalyptus leaves are dry and toxic, food is hard to find – even for the mature koalas. There’s nowhere leftover for little guys like Balyang.

How will our tree planting projects help him?

New habitat is what he needs. As a young animal, he is full of energy and adventurous. He has nothing to lose, so he will probably be the first to try out our new trees. Our You Yangs – Little River Koala Link is right outside his doorstep.

Help plant a tree for Balyang today: You Yangs – Little River Koala Link

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