Giant koala facts for kids

The giant koala bear (Phascolarctos stirtoni) was an extinct marsupial that lived in trees. It called Australia home during the Pleistocene epoch, also known as the Ice Age.

This ancient koala was about one-third larger than today's koalas. It weighed around 13 kilograms (about 29 pounds). That's similar to a very large male koala living now! Even though it was big, it wasn't a "giant" like some other huge Australian animals from that time. Think of it more as a stronger, bigger version of the koala we know.

The giant koala and the modern koala lived side-by-side. They both ate leaves and lived in the same types of trees. But about 50,000 years ago, the giant koala disappeared. Scientists are still trying to figure out why.

What Was the Giant Koala Like?

The giant koala was a tree-dwelling marsupial. It weighed about 13 kilograms. This makes it a bit heavier than modern koalas. It was the largest tree-living marsupial ever known!

Scientists have found that the giant koala looked a lot like today's koalas. It probably ate mostly eucalyptus leaves, just like its living relatives. Animals that eat only leaves are called folivores.

Why Did the Giant Koala Disappear?

Fossils of the giant koala have been found in places like Lake Eyre and Lake Tarkarooloo in South Australia. For a while, people thought that modern koalas came from the giant koala. But scientists now know this isn't true.

Researchers, like Gilbert Price from the University of Queensland, used new ways to date the fossils. They found that both types of koalas lived at the same time. They shared the same tree habitats.

It's still a mystery why the giant koala died out while the modern koala survived. Scientists have a few ideas. One idea is that the climate changed. This might have made it harder for the giant koala to find enough food. Another idea is that early humans might have hunted larger animals, including the giant koala.