How much does a koala cost as a pet
Introduction
I remember my dad telling me that if I wanted a pet, he wouldn’t be able to afford to buy me the most popular animal of choice: A koala bear. I was heartbroken. They were too expensive and he couldn’t justify buying one for me because they weren’t legal in our state anyway! But something about them always stuck with me…
How much does a koala cost as a pet?
The price of a koala depends on the size of the animal, the quality of the animal, its age and location. A small male koala can be purchased for about $100 but large female koalas can cost up to $2000.
You should not buy a pet koala if you do not have enough money because they need special care and food which will cost more than buying them from an animal sanctuary or zoo.
Koalas are endangered.
Koalas are protected by law. Even if you’re able to find a koala, it’s illegal to own one as a pet. The cost of buying and shipping one is prohibitively expensive. Koalas have special needs that require careful management, so you must be willing to pay for these costs if you choose this animal for your family pet.
If you do decide that a koala is the right animal for your household, there are several things to consider before making any purchases or arrangements:
- Koalas are endangered in their native habitat (Australia). Do not purchase from sources other than accredited zoos or sanctuaries who follow national guidelines on how best to care for koalas in captivity.
- They cannot be legally purchased anywhere except from an approved facility like Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital or Taronga Zoo Sydney Australia.*
They’re not legal to own as pets.
Although they’re adorable and look like they’d be fun to hold, koalas are not legal to own as pets in the United States. They’re also not allowed to be kept as pets in Australia or the United Kingdom, where their native habitats are located.
In fact, koalas are an endangered species: there’s only about 78,000 of them left in the wild. Because of this, keeping one as a pet or even just having one visit your home could put its life at risk—and endanger yours too!
Specialized care makes them expensive to buy.
Koalas are a specialized species. They require special diets, veterinary care and housing, travel arrangements and grooming. Their unique requirements make them more expensive to buy than other pets like dogs or cats.
If you want a koala as a pet, expect to pay between $5,000 and $20,000 for the animal up front. Veterinary bills will add up quickly because koalas need regular checkups from veterinarians who specialize in marsupials (mammals that carry their young in pouches). Koalas also have an unusual diet consisting of eucalyptus leaves that aren’t readily available at your local grocery store or pharmacy—they must be imported from Australia at great expense.
They’re expensive to ship.
- Shipping: Koalas are not allowed to fly as cargo, so you’ll have to pay extra for an airline ticket.
- Crate: You’ll need a suitable cage for your pet koala, which can range anywhere from $300 to $600.
- Vet: Your koala will need regular visits with a veterinarian who understands the needs of this particular species (check with your local zoo or wildlife rescue organization).
The size of the animal determines the cage size required.
The size of the animal determines the cage size required. Koalas are large animals and require a large cage. A large cage is necessary for several reasons:
- Because koalas are large animals
- Because koalas are endangered
- Because koalas are expensive
Koalas are expensive and they can’t be pets!
- You can’t own a koala as a pet. This is true of almost all wild animals, including koalas.
- Koalas cost money to buy and ship.
- The size of the animal determines the cage size required for keeping it as a pet.
Conclusion
There you have it! Koalas are expensive and they can’t be pets! It’s not legal to own a koala as a pet in the United States, and if it were, it would cost tens of thousands of dollars for specialized care.