Koalas are coming to Brookfield Zoo Chicago, a first for the west suburban zoo.
With the very Australian-sounding names Willum and Brumby, the pair will make their debuts for zoo visitors over Memorial Day weekend, on May 24 in the Hamill Family Play Zoo, according to an announcement Tuesday.
Brumby and Willum are both 2 years old, coming to Brookfield through a partnership with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and San Diego Zoo’s Koala Education and Conservation Project. Just 11 accredited zoos in North America have the fuzzy animals, which are native to Australia.
Koalas are marsupials, though they’re commonly called bears. They eat eucalyptus leaves; the zoo said it will receive a steady supply of various species of the plant.
Koalas are listed as a “vulnerable” species by the International Union for Conservation and Nature, mostly due to deforestation and fragmentation of their habitats in Australia. Also according to the announcement, in the 1970s the zoo purchased 16,000 acres of land in South Australia, named Brookfield Conservation Park, and helped restore it as a nature reserve. The land has since been handed over to the Australian Landscape Trust.
Those interested in supporting the care of Brumby and Willum can contribute to an Animal Adoption program. A $35 donation includes a certificate of adoption, a koala photo and fact sheet and an invite to a summer adoption event; a $65 donation also includes a plush koala toy and tickets to the event. More information at brookfieldzoo.org/animaladoption.
