How Much Does a Koala Bear Cost?

Koala Bear Cost

Move over Teddy Bears!

Can you remember the time when Teddy Bears had monopolized the stuffed toy industry? Now, a lot of animals made it to the favorite’s list when it comes to these furry and fluffy toys for all ages. Especially the koala, or popularly referred to as “Koala Bear”.

And since it is prohibited for anyone to touch and hug the real koalas, cuddling a koala stuffed toy is the closest thing you could ever experience. That is if you haven’t decided yet to own the real one.

First things first, contrary to the popular belief, the koala is not a bear. They are not even closely related. Koala is a marsupial where the likes of the kangaroo, wallabies, wombats, etc. are members. But for the purpose of discussion, we will proceed with using the term for the meatime.

Koalas are mostly found in Australia. They are considered endangered species and therefore are strictly protected. This means that if you dreamed of owning one, you will need to pass through a needle eye. Not only because of the skyrocketing price but also because your home state might not allow you to. Therefore, how much is a koala bear cost might not be your main concern after all.

Average Cost of Koala Bear

In Australia, it is not allowed for anyone to own a koala as a domesticated pet. The only time anybody can get one is when they are operators of suitably authorized zoos, scientists who are experimenting or trying to discover new things that have to do with koalas or those who are willing to adopt sick or injured koalas. If you are not even remotely any one of these, then you can cross out Australia as the possible source of your dream pet.

If money is out of the question, still, you need to know how much is a koala bear cost and how much your bank account balance would decrease in obtaining this very cute critter.

The average cost to buy a koala bear ranges from $3,000 to $5,000 depending on several factors like the age, the species, among other characteristics and factors.

Although it is almost next to impossible to own a koala if you are an ordinary person, your option could be limited and would only include considering buying through a black market or go through an adoption process.

Australia allows adoption of injured or sick koalas and joeys. But this comes with a monthly contribution ranging from $30 to $50. But mind you, even this adoption has an expiration date as you need to let go of them or free them into the wild once they have become healthy and able to take care of themselves once again. You may inquire with Australian Koala Foundation if you consider owning one through Adopt A Koala program.

Beautiful domesticated Koala pets

Additional Costs

How much is a koala bear cost? You could think of anything that could possibly make up your overall expenditures. But one of the very first things that you should take care of before you decide to own a koala is to provide its habitat that would have enough room for it to move around. The typical size of a koala cage is about 4m x 5m.

Another thing and this is where your permit would depend if ever your home state would allow you to own this marsupial, is your source of its food. Koala’s main food is eucalyptus leaves. Although koalas can munch anything green and leafy being a herbivore, it is important to have a steady source of eucalyptus leaves to be permitted.

You may also need to ensure that there are available veterinary clinics that cater to wildlife animals specifically koalas nearby especially when it gets sick and during emergencies before you can be allowed to take care of it.

And speaking of permits, if buying a koala is expensive because of the abovementioned reasons, expect the license and permits to be pricey as well especially in states or areas where there are strict laws protecting wildlife animals.

Factors Affecting Cost of Koala Bear

Although it is too difficult to get hold of the precious koala for a pet, it does not mean that they are fixed price. Like any other pets available in the market, several factors affect their cost. Some of them include:

  • Age – if you think baby koalas are more expensive like most animals where their price depends on the level of cuteness as younger animals are cuter than grown-ups, you got another thinking coming. That is because, on the contrary, the older they are, the more expensive the cost to buy a koala bear becomes. The rationale behind this is that the previous owner might have already invested on the vaccines, medications, and training of the koala as it grows.
  • Gender – for some reasons, the gender of the koala affect the cost as they are priced differently.
  • Species – the kind of species the koala belongs to also has an effect on the pricing as the rarer the species are, naturally, the more expensive it is to buy them, especially so that they are more likely closely watched by authorities.
  • The source – like the species factor, the source of the koala has a big impact on the pricing as the ones bred in captivity tend to be cheaper than those coming directly from the wild.
  • License and permits – since the possibility of you owning a koala would depend on whether you will be permitted or not, consider it as a major part of your cost to buy a koala bear.

Additional Information

  • Did you know that koalas have fingerprints? They are the only mammals aside from humans and primates to have them.
  • The average lifespan of koalas ranges from 10 to 14 years.
  • There are about 43,000 to 80,000 koalas in the wild according to Australian Koala Foundation. Their only few predators include dingoes and large owls and one of their major threats are deforestation which makes them stray in the roads causing their death from traffic accidents and dog attacks.
  • Another threat to koala population is chlamydia which is also a sexually-transmitted disease in humans.
  • Their favorite food eucalyptus leaves are generally toxic or poisonous to other animals. But koalas have special bacteria in their digestive system that neutralizes the poison.
Carlye Yancey

Between internships, volunteering, and paid jobs over the last 4 years, I have pretty much-gained experience with domesticated animals. Currently being in school for my veterinary technology degree, I spend my leisure time with 3 critters that I own.

5 thoughts on “How Much Does a Koala Bear Cost?”

  1. Hello Koala lovers of all kinds. Recently I have been in the finding for a nice fuzzy friend to keep me and my Peacock some company. Thankfully to this website, I realize how much time i need to spend to get my house ready for a Koala. However, part of me wants to skip the process and get my little fuzzy friend to my house now where me and Jeffrey, my peacock, want to play with him. For anyone though who is out there looking for a peacock and don’t know where to keep them, I put Jeffrey in a metal prison or barn and he loves it. I have never seen him more happy before. In conclusion, my excitement for this Koala is through the roof. I would call him Tony or Fuzz Fuzz. I’m leaning more towards Fuzz Fuzz. If anyone sees this please let me know which name is better.

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    • If it is a male I say better call it Tony but a female……Tony is maybe a little bit weird for a fuzzy girl so call it Fuzz Fuzz if it is a girl.

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  2. As an elderly person who has loved animals & owned exotics as well as purebred German Shepherds & Bully Pits, as well as one Belgian Malinois I am begging you DO NOT TRY TO OWN ANY KIND OF BEAR! They may love you & be adorable but one tiny slip & their claws can kill you. There is no humane way to avoid the potential for death. If you cage the bear or declare it, you might as well kill it. I had a Canadian Silver Timber Wolf who slept in my bed. She was gorgeous but required 8 times the money & time to care for her than most kinds of dogs. Also, I could not leave her alone. I did once and she destroyed the vertical blinds covering my patio door. That only took her 1/2 hour. I also lost the husband who got her for me. His heart could not take the drama.

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  3. I would like to give a gift of helping a koala to my daughter for her birthday, but as I am on a Pension, I can’t afford the $30 a month for a year. Is there any other way to give her a birthday gift and help a koala? P.Toomey

    Reply

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