GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — John Ball Zoo has received some adorable new animal ambassadors—but if you want to see them, you'll want to go soon! Two koalas have arrived at the zoo to visit for the summer.
Named Iluka and Noorundi, the koalas are visiting John Ball Zoo through a partnership with the San Diego Zoo Global Education and Conservation Project.
A caretaker with the San Diego Zoo has traveled with the koalas and is working with the John Ball Zoo team to make sure the animals are happy and healthy. A new habitat was built to accommodate the koalas' specific needs, and can be found across from the Frogs and Friends exhibit.
Visitors will be able to see the koalas up close and learn about their impact on the environment.
Koalas at John Ball Zoo
The San Diego Zoo Global Education and Conservation Project provides donations to organizations working to conserve koalas and other animals in the same habitat in Australia. This includes donations from John Ball Zoo.
The project also works to maintain self-sustaining koala populations outside of Australia. Both behavioral and biological data is collected through the project to benefit koalas and other marsupials, including those in zoos and in the wild.
If you're looking to see the koalas, head to John Ball Zoo this summer and see them before they're gone! Grab your tickets here. For more information on the zoo and its exhibits, click here.
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