If Canberrans go exploring across the city next month they might just catch a glimpse of some members of its new koala population.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Unfortunately they're just statues, but the 20 one-metre-tall koalas, each one uniquely decorated by artists, will be scattered about the bush capital in March.
The Australian National Botanical Gardens' visitor service coordinator Megan Donaldson said the installation was all part of the Carramar Koala Quest, aimed at helping to raise awareness of Australian plants and native wildlife.
Fourteen of the statues will be in the garden, with one of them - Carramar - hidden away for visitors to find.
"People can search for her, and the idea behind the quest is to find her and tell us why she's important to us," Ms Donaldson said.
A hint: Carramar, named after the Indigenous Birpai word for "shade of tree", is adorned with native Australian plants.
Ms Donaldson said she hoped the koalas will drive home the conservation message staff at the gardens are trying to spread. They will help to mark National Eucalypt Day on March 23, as well as events celebrating World Wildlife Day and special events during the upcoming Enlighten Festival.
"They've all just got such personalities so you just fall in love with all of them," Ms Donaldson said.
This included her personal favourite, Ranger Riley, who will man the gardens' visitor centre with pictures of endangered Australian wildlife on the back of his jacket.
The statues are part of Port Macquarie's Hello Koalas sculpture project, which consists of 65 statues across the region.
All of the statues hail from the northern-NSW town, except for Buzzy, who is covered in paintings of Australian native bees and was made especially for Canberra. Buzzy will staff the concierge at the garden's native bee hotel.
Hello Koalas project director Margret Meagher said people loved engaging with the statues.
"I've seen three-year-olds actually pick up a gum leaf or a branch and try to feed Ranger Riley something for lunch," Ms Meagher said.
"The engagement with koalas is very direct: eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose."
But she said she couldn't say which one was her favourite.
"It's like children. You can't say 'this is my favourite', you can think it but you can't say it," she said.
The other six koalas will stay elsewhere in Canberra, with two at the National Zoo, two at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, one at the Australian National University and one in the parliamentary triangle.
