Koalas regularly appeared in Australian biologist Danielle Clode's backyard but it was only
when a bushfire threatened that she truly paid them attention. She soon realized how much she
had to learn about these complex and mysterious animals. In vivid descriptive prose Clode
embarks on a delightful and surprising journey through evolutionary biology natural history
and ecology to understand where these enigmatic animals came from and what their future may
hold. She begins her search with the fossils of ancient giant koalas delving into why the
modern koala has become the lone survivor of a once-diverse family of uniquely Australian
marsupials. Koala investigates the remarkable physiology of these charismatic creatures. Born
the size of tiny jellybeans joeys face an uphill battle from crawling into their mother's
pouch to being weaned onto a toxic diet of gum-tree leaves the koalas' single source of food.
Clode explores the complex relationship and unexpected connections between this endearing
species and humans. She explains how koalas are simultaneously threatened with extinction in
some areas due to disease climate change and increasing wildfires while overpopulating
forests in other parts of the country. Deeply researched and filled with wonder Koala is both
a tender and inquisitive paean to a species unlike any other and a call to ensure its survival.
