On 18 May, the zoo announced that the seven-month-old joey had started cautiously exploring the outside world beyond the safety of its mother’s marsupial pouch.

According to Lisbon Zoo, the infant weighed around 1 gram and measured less than 20 millimetres long at birth. The tiny koala spent its first months developing hidden from view, entirely inside the mother’s pouch, as is typical for marsupials.

Visitors can now occasionally spot the young cub curiously peering from the pouch or riding on its mother’s back, particularly during feeding times.

This birth marks another milestone for the institution’s longstanding conservation programme of one of Australia’s most recognisable species, as Lisbon Zoo was the first in Europe to house koalas and has supported their protection through its Conservation Fund since 1991.

The programme has contributed to habitat preservation and restoration, scientific research in the wild and captivity, public education initiatives, and the rehabilitation of injured animals through partnerships with various conservation organisations.

Koalas continue to face growing threats in their native Australian habitat, including devastating bushfires, habitat loss, and climate change, making conservation efforts and public awareness increasingly vital for the species’ survival.