Koala Research

Meet ... Maya (pronounced My-a)

We first met Maya on a hot March day in 2006 - she was sitting in a huge River Red Gum tree keeping cool, not far from her friend Drew (another lovely female koala) in a very busy picnic ground. We were quite surprised to meet her - firstly because we thought that only Drew and Dennis lived in that area; and secondly because she seemed so calm and serene! She was not worried the way many koalas (especially females) are the first time they meet humans. Later we came to understand why - she does live in that area and is often surrounded by the sounds of humans having fun. Though the people below often don't see her, she sees and hears them and has probably become used to the noises we make.

Since then we have become great friends with Maya. She often shows up and seems happy to be looked at - with admiration, of course (who wouldn't?) Interestingly we have seen her and a male, named Coal, together many times, outside of the breeding season. That is unusual, and we are wondering whether they are friends, prospective mates or even mother and son?

Our guests on that day, Cheryl and Harv, from Illinois USA, named her after their granddaughter Maya. Their other granddaughter, Ellery, has a beautiful mountain in far Eastern Victoria named after her - well, it has the same name anyway!

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