Baby koala faces the world at Planckendael

A koala born at Planckendael animal park in Antwerp last year has finally emerged from its mother’s pouch. The Zooborns website explains that it can be difficult to see koalas in zoos, as they are timid and sensitive to stress, but this one made it easy for photographers to capture its image and seems to be most active in the afternoon. Like other marsupials, the baby is born after approximately 34 days, while still underdeveloped. Hairless, blind and about the size of a bean, it makes its way into the mother’s pouch, where it attaches itself to the nipple and continues to develop and grow in safety for about six months. Once the new arrival’s gender is known, it will be given an Aboriginal name, starting with the letter N – following a tradition that all animals born at the zoo in 2012 will have names beginning with N.