Baby koala dies at zoo

A baby koala, the latest highlight at the Taipei zoo, has died, zoo officials confirmed late yesterday.

While the cause of death is not yet known, the zoo's veterinarian has not ruled out the possibility that the baby koala was accidentally crushed to death by its inexperienced mom, Eva.

"Based on the zoo veterinarian's preliminary examination, the baby koala's death was caused by an outside force," Liu Shih-fen (劉世芳), the zoo's public relations chief, told the Taipei Times. "Determination of the actual cause will have to wait until next week when the autopsy takes place."

According to Liu, the baby koala was discovered laying dead on a pile of tree branches when a caretaker arrived at feeding time at approximately 1:30pm yesterday.

The baby koala, weighing 241g and measuring 24cm long, had no visible injuries except for a few minor ones found near its mouth, Liu added.

Currienbin Zoo, the Australian zoo which lent Eva to Taipei Zoo, will send experts to Taiwan to take part in the autopsy, Liu said.

"They comforted us, saying not to grieve to much over the matter, as the same thing sometimes happens in Australia, too," said Liu, adding that a baby koala's mortality rate is about 50 percent.

The baby koala made its public debut when it stuck its head out of its mother's pouch on Aug. 26.