Скачать или смотреть Wild Koalas mating on Koalas & Kangaroos IN THE WILD tour, Melbourne

in broad daylight, at around 10.30am, male koala Ngallo and female Smoky were being watched by our Koalas & Kangaroos IN THE WILD tour group in the You Yangs. Ngallo started to slowly approach Smoky, who didn't try to fight him off. If anything, she seemed to be encouraging him. Ngallo put his arm around her a few times, but seemed cautious or uncertain. Finally Smoky got sick of all this and started to fight him - at least that's what we think happened. Smoky yells and screams and turns around to face him, at which point Ngallo backs off. After this video was taken Ngallo backed away but stayed in the tree and sang loudly for a long time! This wonderful footage taken by Martin, Wildlife Guide.

We have since found that big strong males like Ngallo will often approach a female to mate in daylight, and then back off without much of a fight. We think its a strategy - part of the koala mating ritual - and that the male returns later, possibly after dark, to try again.