He
may have been christened “Logan”, but as soon as
Dreamworld’s superstar emerged from his mum’s
pouch and took a first glimpse of the world late in late 2007, he was
dubbed “Frank” for his extraordinary blue eyes.

He’s
a little puff of fur with intense blue eyes, kind of like a Mel
Gibson with a bit more fluff. Or Sinatra without the croon,”
said Dreamworld’s Life Sciences Supervisor, Michelle Barnes. "I
have worked with koalas for 14 years and have never seen a blue eyed
one before.” 

A natural born performer like his namesake!

Photos Courtesy of Dreamworld on
Australia's Gold Coast

Australian
Koala Foundation’s (AKF) CEO, Deborah Tabart was also at a loss
to explain the unusual eye colouring. “In the 20 year history
of the AKF, this is the first we have heard of a blue-eyed koala in
captivity. It certainly appears to be a once in a lifetime event.”

Ms
Barnes said that medically speaking there is nothing wrong with
Australia’s newest heart throb, apart from a case of reduced
pigmentation. His mother also has the same condition, although her
eyes are brown.

Frank
won't be treated any differently to any of the 57 koalas at
Dreamworld’s Australian Wildlife Experience, said Ms Barnes.

“He
is part of Dreamworld’s koala collection and whether he has
blue or pink eyes he will be treated and managed like the rest of the
koala family. We are delighted that he’s a little unusual, but
he will only be used as a poster boy to help draw attention to the
plight of this beautiful and iconic animal.”

Ms
Barnes added that Frank is a typical mumma’s boy who sleeps 18
hours a day.

“He
is still drinking from mum's pouch and is at a semi independent stage
where he’s testing new foods. His favourite food these days is
the leaf of the blue gum.”

Koalas
are around 12-15mm when born and it’s not until six months of
age and around 12 cm that they begin to emerge from the pouch and
open their eyes. Like humans, many have a blue tinge to their eyes,
which quickly recedes. Frank’s eyes were considerably lighter
and he was taken to a veterinary eye specialist for appropriate
testing in December.

“His
vision is perfect and that and his health is what is most important
to us.”

Frankie
is currently in a special koala crèche and will go on display
with the other koalas in April, around his first birthday.

About
the Koala

• Koalas
  are native to Australia and found in the wild in Queensland,
  New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

• Koalas’
  eyes are relatively small in relation to the size of their other
  sensory features, such as their ears and nose, and their eyesight is
  not particularly highly developed.

• Koalas
  rely on a highly developed hearing and sense of smell to
  differentiate between types of eucalyptus leaves and to detect the
  scent warnings put on trees by other koalas.

About
Koala Handling Regulations

• The
  EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) has developed a code of
  practice in conjunction with the QLD Zoological industry to regulate
  handling of koalas for photographic opportunities to a maximum 30
  minutes a day and 180 minutes per week.

• Frankie
  is currently enjoying time in a koala crèche and will undergo
  handling procedures before he can meet with the public.

Conservation

• Please
  review AKF’s website for what you can do to help koala’s
  in the wild. www.savethekoala.com

• Dreamworld
  is proud to be a gold sponsor of the AKF.