Thesis abstract:

«p»Captive koala maintenance requires the management of eucalypt plantations but these can be nutritionally inadequate, particularly during times of severe heat waves, droughts or increased flood periods. It is currently estimated that one koala in captivity requires 1000 trees planted (made up of 5- 6 preferred species). Taronga Zoo manages four plantations across Sydney, and has a variety of eucalypt species which form the basis of their captive koalas’ diet. The current population size of Taronga captive koalas is 22 and there are approximately 20,0000 trees to sustain them. An even greater number is required to account for the koalas which are brought into the Taronga wildlife hospital for intensive care. Over the past few years, there has been a decrease in the availability of high quality browse from plantations due to climatic factors. Periods of limited new growth and fibrous leaves can create great nutritional stress on captive koalas. Dietary supplements are regularly used for the care of sick and injured koalas to increase weight gain and improve health during rehabilitation, thus the idea of assessing a supplement which could be used to sustain healthy captive koalas in conjunction with their Eucalyptus diet is of great interest. This study aims to assess an existing commercial supplementary diet to complement minimal browse requirements of koalas and improve koala welfare in captivity in times of low availability of quality food.«/p»