04.21.24: Koala nap time

Koala sleeping in tree, Columbus Zoo, Powell, Ohio.

I call this photo I shot at the Columbus Zoo "koala nap time," but — to be honest — anytime is nap time if you are a koala.

According to various online sources, koalas sleep 20 hours a day and only spend about four minutes a day in active movement. 

Blame their diet for their sedentary nature. 

Koalas eat primarily eucalyptus leaves, which have limited nutritional and caloric value. So they conserve their energy by sleeping all day.

A zoo visit provides opportunities to photograph unusual animals, but getting quality photos is challenging. It's often more difficult for me to get quality photos at a zoo than it is in the wild.

It seems like it should be the other way around. After all, I know exactly where the animals are at a zoo. There are maps and signs. Can't miss 'em. Just walk up to the pen and start shooting.

Except there are often high fences to shoot through. Or glass walls. And crowds of people. And the animals tend to seek shelter far from the viewing areas.

And, with koalas, they are often in trees surrounded by leaves. Waiting in hopes that the koala will move to a more photo-accessible spot isn’t going to work because,  as I noted earlier, koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day.

Although I have seen a koala in motion, twice. 

One was at a zoo when a koala slowly climbed from a limb onto another limb, then fell asleep again.

The other was when I saw a koala in the wild crossing a road outside Melbourne, Australia. It took a while. It was also within 100 feet of koala crossing and kangaroo crossing signs. I laughed when I saw the signs and asked the friend I was with, a Melbourne local, if the sign was for tourists. “No, it’s an important warning to drivers. You blokes in the states have your deer and hitting one can really do damage. Try hitting a kangaroo.”

The best chance for success when attempting photography at a zoo is to carry a long lens (as I did for this photo), spend time walking around the exhibits to find positions that provide clear line-of-sight to the animals and hope for some luck. Also, arriving right at the opening time on a weekday in the spring or early fall, when school is in session, helps.