I loved seeing this mother koala asleep high in a gum tree. That bump on her tummy is her baby, who is also sleeping. Many people think of koalas as cute Australian bears. But they are not bears at all. Koalas are marsupials. This means that they give birth to tiny, deaf and blind immature babies that then make a laborious climb through mother's fur to finally nestle in her pouch. Inside the protective pouch the joey (baby) attaches to one of the mother's teats and then survives on mother's milk for about seven months. As the joey grows and explores outside the pouch it will ride on the mother's back, or nestle for a nap on top of mom, just like this little one. Sadly koalas are becoming endangered as a species. So, if you visit Australia, please go to see koalas in one of the sanctuaries that are working to breed them and increase the healthy koala population. These sanctuaries need money to continue their conservation work.