It was a bittersweet day for keeper Seleena De Gelder at the Australian Reptile Park as she sent the first koala joey she’s ever hand-raised off to koala preschool to learn how to be a real koala with this season’s other koala joey. After a quick snuggle, Seleena said her goodbye to Edgar and let him begin exploring his new exhibit.
Hesitant at first, Edgar slowly made his way up the trees, before turning his new home into a jungle gym, leaping from one tree to another. Seleena is excited for this new chapter in Edgar’s life, which will allow him to develop important skills and behaviours that he would have obtained if living in the wild.
Unfortunately, Edgar didn’t have the best start to his life, coming into surrogate care by De Gelder after his mum suffered health complications. Despite the initial challenges Edgar faced as an orphan joey, he has progressed amazingly under Seleena’s care alongside another orphaned koala joey, Honey.
“I’m going to miss Edgar not coming home with me every night,” Seleena stated. “I’m going to miss his cuddles and playful personality, but I am not going to miss the nighttime bottle feeds.”
For those eager to see Edgar for themselves, visitors can find him exploring his new home high in the trees at the Australian Reptile Park, where he will play a vital role in the Park's koala breeding program, serving as an ambassador for the conservation of this iconic Aussie animal.
