"Now we have certainty" - Koala baby at Leipzig Zoo

With a little luck, visitors to Leipzig Zoo can now catch a glimpse of a koala cub. The offspring of female Erlinga is venturing more and more out of its mother's pouch and is even boldly sticking its whole head out.

"Now we have certainty: we have another little koala cub," said senior curator Ariel Jacken. The joy at the zoo is huge - an offspring like this is something special.

Baby weighs several hundred grams

In mid-October, the zoo announced the second offspring among the marsupials since 2020. At the time, a zookeeper had briefly seen a little snout peeking out. Since then, the cub, which is around five to six months old, has continued to grow and is becoming more active. The baby now weighs several hundred grams, Jacken estimated.

The two visitors Bianca and Mathilda Dornisch were able to take a look at the little koala. "We were very happy. We are apparently lucky. We drove an extra two and a half hours here today to see the koala," they said. The baby even looked at them.

Is it a male or a female?

No one at the zoo knows yet whether the offspring is male or female. "It may take a few more weeks. Once it's out and sitting comfortably, we'll certainly take a look," said Jacken. A suitable name will then be found. "At the moment, it's still nameless."