Floyd Shelton., age ll, of Hazelwood, NC for his question:

Where did the koala originate?

His family originated in Australia, where many gentle marsupials were saved from the toothy carnivores that developed on other continents. The furry koalas are also marsupials, and the white settlers found large numbers of them throughout Queensland and Victoria, koalas must dine on just the right kind of eucalyptus leaf, and often a group of the sleepy fellows will spend their lives in the same grove of gum trees.

They also have elegant coats of silken fur. In the past millions of helpless koalas were sacrificed to the fur trade. Laws were made to stop the slaughter when experts became afraid that koalas would be wiped out. The koalas that remain now are strictly protected in their favorite groves. We hope that these charming natives of Australia will be saved from extinction.