WATCH: Ohio koala baby leaves mother’s pouch for the first time

By FOX19 Digital Staff | February 26, 2021 at 6:05 PM EST - Updated February 27 at 10:59 AM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (FOX19) - An adorable koala joey is venturing outside its mother’s pouch for the first time at the Columbus Zoo!

The zoo’s first koala baby in a decade, this little joey was born July 5, 2020.

Baby koalas crawl into their mother’s pouch immediately after birth and stay there for around six months. During that time, they grow from the size of a jellybean to, well, what you see below.

The zoo says it won’t know the joey’s gender until it becomes more independent.

Katy the koala (and her joey!) update
🐨 Adorableness overload: It's been over a decade since the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed a koala joey. The joey was born on July 5, 2020 to koala mom, Katy, and koala dad, Thoar. The 7-month-old koala joey has been venturing outside of mom's pouch to eat some eucalyptus leaves! 🍃 The sex of the joey has yet to be revealed–but once the joey is more independent, we'll be able to tell if it's a boy or girl. Katy and her joey are viewable to guests year-round, and they're currently in their indoor winter habitat. Swing over to the Zoo's Australia and the Islands region during your next visit for a chance to see Katy and her joey! https://bit.ly/3qkxL0g
Posted by Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Thursday, February 25, 2021

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