Quick answer
Koalas eat almost nothing but eucalyptus leaves. They are marsupials, not bears, and not bamboo pandas. The species is IUCN Vulnerable. Never feed them. Figures checked 13 August 2026.
What do koalas actually eat?
Selected eucalyptus species — not every gum on the street. A Queensland diet is not a Victorian remnant. They are not a farms-and-suburbs species even when they sit in a backyard tree.
How do they feed?
Slow chewing in the canopy, then long rest. The low-energy leaf is the clock. Ground travel between trees is when cars and dogs kill them.
What does that mean for woodland?
They are a specialist, not a keystone grazer. Losing them does not “save” eucalyptus; it is a symptom that the woodland is already punched full of holes.
Should you feed them?
Never. People-food and wrong leaves sicken them. A bottle of water in a heatwave is a drought rescue story, not a picnic.
Why almost only eucalyptus?
Gut microbes unlock toxins other mammals cannot. That lock is why clearing the right trees is a diet extinction, not a landscaping footnote.
Is the canopy the whole kitchen?
Yes. WARN’s habitat appeal funds partner work — not a koala hospital.
Sources
Koala FAQs
What do koalas eat?
Almost nothing but eucalyptus leaves — tough, low-energy, toxic to most mammals. They are not bears and not bamboo pandas. Sleep of about 18–20 hours is the energy budget, not laziness. Never feed wild koalas. IUCN: Vulnerable.
Do koalas drink water?
Most moisture comes from leaves. They will drink in drought and after fire. A viral “koala” sipping a bottle is a drought story, not a zoo menu. Do not offer people-food.
How does diet link to conservation?
Clear the right eucalyptus species and the specialist starves even if grass remains. World Animal Rescue Network funds habitat-protection partners — not a koala hospital.
Do they eat the same things as giant pandas?
No. Pandas take bamboo in China. Koalas take eucalyptus in eastern Australia. Mixing the menus mixes the continents and the appeals.
Who this page is for.This page is about wild diet. Skip it if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian.