Claude the Koala Eats Eucalyptus Plants Worth Almost $4,000 at Nursery in Australia

Eucalyptus plants are in peril at a native seed-growing business in Australia after a "greedy koala" has been foraging eucalyptus seedlings at the Eastern Forest Nursery in the state of New South Wales.

The suspected animal named "Claude the koala" has cost the said plant nursery losses worth $3,800 or AU$6,000, according to reports. The length of time the koala has been stealing the crop remains unknown but details of the unusual incident came out this week.

Claude the Koala

The eucalyptus seedlings being grown at Eastern Forest Nursery is meant for koala habitats since the business is a wholesaler. However, the chances for potential profit are squandered as Claude the koala had a taste for the saplings and would not let go.

Based on one of the reports, a gardener growing the eucalyptus seedlings found his plants being consumed by the cute mammal but with sharp claws. The gardener Humphrey Herington, who owns the Eastern Forest Nursery, told local sources that he noticed some of the business' seedlings were being chewed and initially though it was because of a possum, a marsupial mammal.

Although Herington wrapped a towel around Claude, carried him 200 or 300 meters away from the establishment and let him go in a tree, the koala kept coming back. Claude was first caught when Herington and some staff went one morning and saw the animal seemed full and seemed struggling to move or climb a tree.

Why are Koalas Famous in Australia

Koalas are not found anywhere in the world since they are endemic only in Australia, where they can be found in the southeastern and eastern parts of the country. In the east, these koala habitats can be found along the coastlines of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) non-profit wildlife organization.

The WWF says they can be found in forest and woodland habitats, particularly places with an abundance of eucalyptus tree species. Further inland, the koalas can be found in eucalyptus woodlands, specially those that are close with bodies of water like creeks and streams, the organization adds.

Koalas are loved not only in Australia but also around the world, serving as an ambassador species for other local wildlife, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Koala Population Threats

The koala population in Australia suffered a blow but is already recovering following the deadly bushfires in recent years that lasted from late 2019 until early 2020.

Aside from bushfires or wildfires, the Australian Koala Foundation stated that loss of habitat caused by human disturbance like the expansion of settlements, agriculture, housing, forestry, mining, factories, and road constructions are the main threat to koalas.

The foundation also elaborates that disease, moving cars, and even feral predators like foxes are also threats to the Australian koala population.