# Are Koalas Endangered?

> IUCN lists koalas as Vulnerable (2014). Australia listed combined QLD/NSW/ACT populations Endangered in 2022. Not bears.

- **Species:** Koala (*Phascolarctos cinereus*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Herbivore (eucalyptus specialist)
- **Habitat:** Eucalyptus forest and woodland
- **Lifespan:** 13–18 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** About 30 km/h (19 mph) over short bursts
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/koala/are-koala-endangered/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/koala/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The koala is a tree-dwelling marsupial native to eastern Australia, famous for its diet of eucalyptus leaves and for sleeping up to 20 hours a day. Despite often being called a bear, it is a marsupial that carries its young in a pouch. Wild koalas typically live around 13 to 18 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need the full biology — use the [Koala profile](https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/koala/) instead.

## A specialized leaf diet

Koalas eat almost nothing but eucalyptus leaves, which are tough, low in nutrients, and toxic to most animals. A special digestive system lets koalas break down these leaves and neutralize the toxins. Because the diet provides so little energy, koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day to conserve it.

## Help protect the Koala

Koalas are IUCN Vulnerable (2014): land clearing, fires, cars, dogs and chlamydia. WARN funds habitat partners — it does not run Australian koala hospitals.

[Donate to habitat protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/koala/are-koala-endangered/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.