WAKE UP JEFF: On average, koalas sleep about 18 hours a day due to their diet - eucalyptus leaves are low in nutrition and high in fibre, requiring a high amount of energy to digest. Pictures: JAMES WILTSHIRE
This cute koala was spotted just outside Beechworth at the Chiltern turn-off, ahead of a big week of eating eucalyptus leaves and catching up on some much-needed sleep.
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FURRY FRIEND: Nationally, koala numbers are on the decline, but some areas of the North East, with rich soil, support strong numbers.
But koala carer Vickii Lett, who works with conservation group WIRES, stressed roads were a serious threat.
“Koalas use pathways to swap genetic materials but quite often we put roads in their way,” she said. “So southern animals are less genetically diverse than the northern animals - and that puts them at risk.”
Spending most of the day in the safety of tall gum trees, koalas receive up to 90 per cent of their hydration through eating eucalyptus alone.
And all this eating tires them out – koalas usually sleep about 18 hours a day.
