In The Koala Who Could story by Rachel Bright and Jim Field, Kevin the koala has lots of friends who want him to join in their games. But Kevin prefers to stay safely up in his tree - until the day disaster strikes and he has to embrace change. While this is a heartwarming tale about friendship and stepping out of your comfort zone, you may be wondering if koalas really do make friends with the animals (or humans) around them. Let’s take a look at how these fluffy critters get on with others. 

Koalas and other koalas

Koalas are largely solitary animals, with home ranges that overlap a little to allow for breeding and communication. The home range provides koalas with food and shelter, and areas that overlap provide a place for social contact. Koalas know their home ranges so well that they can tell if a tree belongs to their territory or not. 

Koalas and humans

Cuddling a koala may be on your bucket list, but in all Australian states except Queensland the activity is now illegal. Even patting and handling these cute critters is tightly regulated. That’s because human contact can be stressful for koalas, interrupting their routines and causing sleep loss. As wild animals, they don’t habitually come across humans, so any interactions must be carefully controlled. 

Whether a koala enjoys contact depends on its individual character. Some are comfortable being around humans while others are not - and most sanctuaries will allow the creatures to lead. 

Koalas and other animals

Unlike in Rachel Bright’s koala story, wild koalas don’t come across too many other species. Their interactions with other animals are therefore quite rare. Koalas and cockatoos share the same habitat and occasionally come into contact with one another, but both are quite territorial animals and tend not to share trees for any length of time.

Sadly, koalas and wombats don’t typically make friends in the wild either - largely because (as in The Koala Who Could) wombats live on the ground and koalas live in trees. However, instances of the two species forming a bond in captivity have been recorded. In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Elsa the koala and Hope the wombat were paired together at the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales. The two quickly became friends, sharing a nose-kiss when spending time together each day. 

The same park witnessed a second friendship develop between a koala joey, Honey, and an orphaned wombat joey called Bucky in 2024. The pair became inseparable, enjoying meals, naps and snuggles together before Honey transitioned to the Park’s ‘koala preschool’.  

Discover The Koala Who Could

If you love The Koala Who Could, don’t miss the stage adaptation that’s currently touring the UK. This heartwarming koala bear story is told with sing-along songs, dancing and puppetry, providing 55 minutes of fun for kids aged three and up. Discover the tour dates on our homepage and contact your local theatre to book tickets.