Baby koala meets public in east China

NANJING -- A baby koala born in Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo in East China's Jiangsu province made its first public appearance on Monday.

The little koala's parents settled down in the zoo about six months ago, and they have attracted over 2.5 million visitors, according to the zoo.

"We noticed some slight changes in the mother koala's belly in late May. But the status of a baby koala is sort of a secret, so we have no idea of the exact date of birth," said Yin Tao, a koala breeder at the zoo.

Koalas can give birth within 40 days of conception. Baby koalas weigh around 0.5 grams and are 1.9 cm tall at the time of birth, looking like a little pink peanut, Yin said.

The baby koala first came out of the pouch last month and has gradually expanded its range of activities, including climbing and sleeping on the mother's back, said zoo staff. The baby is too young to tell whether it is a male or female.

"The koalas are in excellent shape now. We will keep on providing good care," Yin said.