Meet the koalas in our Wild Koala Research Project
Or meet them personally on one of our koala research tours: Great Ocean Road 3 day, Sunset Koalas & Kangaroos IN THE WILD or Koalas & Kangaroos IN THE WILD.
Our Koala’s family trees
Our Koala’s Stories
About Koala Kallama
Kallama Origin of name: Kallama is taken from the word “everywhere” in the Wathaurong/Wadawurrung language around the You Yangs. That’s where we want koalas: everywhere they can be. Known since: He emerged on 17 June 2020, which makes his birthday around mid December...
About Koala Mear
Mear Origin of name: Mear is named to honour the Mear balug clan of the Wathaurong/Wadawurrung tribe. Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wathaurong .. Known since: We first met Mear in January 2012. .. How often seen: She was seen 7 times in 2012, 19 times in...
About Koala Waa
Waa Origin of name: Waa is the name for the Raven/Crow in Wathaurong/Wada wurrung .. Known since: He was first seen on 23 June 2020, so he must have been born around late December 2019. .. How often seen: He has been seen a lot in his first year: 14 times in 2020. .....
About Koala Balyang
Balyang Origin of name: Balyang means Bat in the Wathaurong/Wada wurrung language. The word has also been used to name the township just north of the You Yangs: Balliang. .. Known since: He first emerged around 2 July 2020. If he was 6 months old at the time, he would...
About Koala Winjku
About female koala joey Winjku, living wild in the You Yangs near Melbourne.
About Koala Indi
Indi Origin of name: Indi is one of the traditional Aboriginal names for the Murray River that divides Victoria from New South Wales. It is particular to the upper reaches of the Murray – near its source in the high country of far East Gippsland. .. Known since: Indi...
About Koala Mimi
Mimi Origin of name: Mimi is named to honour the Mimi spirits of the Top End. Mimi are lithe, dancing spirits that feature in Aboriginal art from around Gunbalanya in Arnhem Land. Read...
About Koala Yeera
Yeera Origin of name: Yeera means joyful, which she is! The name has an Aboriginal origin, we think Wathaurong. .. Known since: She was first seen on 14 October 2019 with her mother Wemba. We think she had been out of the pouch for at least one month – which makes...
About Koala Shaz
Shaz Origin of name: Shaz is just such an Aussie name! Known since: We first saw Shaz in November 2015. She looked very young, maybe just 2 years old. How often seen: Shaz was only seen once in 2015, twice in 2016, not at all in 2017. In 2018 she was seen just two...
About Koala Smoky
Smoky Origin of name: We first found Smoky on 30 January 2006, while a devastating bushfire was raging in the nearby Brisbane Ranges. The air was full of smoke. We lost a healthy koala community and 27 much-loved koalas to that bushfire. From 1992 to 2006 all our...
About Koala Merle
Merle Origin of name: Named for one of our first guests to meet him, back in 2006. Known since: Merle was first seen on 26 February 2006. How often seen: He was seen very frequently from 2006 to 2010, when he disappeared quite suddenly. In 2010 he was seen 76 times....
About Koala LuLu
LuLu Origin of name: Her mother is KiKi, her grandmother is YuYu and we thought it just fit. Also, there’s a great children’s book called Koala Lou, which we love. Known since: LuLu first emerged from KiKi’s pouch in early September 2018, which means she would have...
About Koala Djaki
Djaki (Balit-Djak) Origin of name: Balit-djak is a Woiwurrung Aboriginal word meaning “very strong”. Since the start its been shortened to Djaki. Known since: Djaki was first seen out of the pouch on 26 July 2018. That makes his birthday around 26 January. How often...
About Koala Wooloomanata
Wooloomanata Origin of name: One of the original names of the You Yangs is Wooloomanata, and one of the historic properties adjacent to the park has this name. Known since: “Wooly” was first seen in January 2015, about 4km west of where he has been seen lately. How...
About Koala Carninje
Carninje Origin of name: Carninje is named to honour the Carninje Balug People of the Wathaurong or Burrumbeet tribe. Their clan area is around Linton, west of Mt Buninyong. Known since: She was first seen on 30 November 2011 as a mature, breeding female koala. She...
About Koala Jin Jin
Jin Jin Origin of name: Jin Jin was an Aboriginal man in the Melbourne area at the time of European invasion and settlement. He was imprisoned with Tullamarine, but they escaped by setting fire to the jail. Known since: He was first seen in early 2013. How often seen:...
About 3 year old female koala CoCo
CoCo Origin of name: As her mother’s name is YuYu, and CoCo is a baby name – it seemed to fit. Known since: She was first seen on 20 October 2015. She was probably 7 or 8 months old by that time. That makes her 3 years old now. How often seen: CoCo is a shy one. She...
About Koala Bunyip
Bunyip Origin of name: We asked some travellers for suggestions for a really Australian name. Boomerang and Bunyip were the two favourites. Bunyip is a Wemba-wemba Aboriginal word for a scary monster that lives in billabongs and waterholes. We decided that as...
About Koala Pickle
Origin of name: I know, Pickle!!!??? Well it goes like this…. Our wonderful Wildlife Guide Brett and his partner Jess wanted to call a koala joey Pickle in 2017. I (Janine) resisted as I thought it was a bit of a tough name to grow up with. Then one day in 2018 our...
About Koala Ruth
Ruth Origin of name: One of our lovely guests, Leslie, was so keen to meet our koalas that she booked a Koalas & Kangaroos IN THE WILD tour, made a donation to Koala Clancy Foundation and respectfully asked if she could also join our Koala Conservation Day for...