Yanchep National Park welcomes second koala joey in two years as visitors invited to name new arrival
Yanchep National Park celebrates a second koala joey in two years as Poppy and Franklin Doogsie’s healthy five‑month‑old emerges from the pouch. Visitors can now vote to name the new joey from four options as WA’s Environment Minister hails the colony’s conservation and tourism value.
PEOPLE & COMMUNITY
Second koala joey in two years at Yanchep
Yanchep National Park’s koala colony has recorded another successful breeding season with the arrival of a second joey in two years, park authorities announced today.
The new pouch‑young is around five months old, with birth estimated around mid‑March, and has recently begun peeping out from its mother Poppy’s pouch during feeding time.
Poppy was brought to Yanchep from Ballarat Wildlife Park in Victoria last year and paired with Franklin Doogsie, who arrived from Cleland Wildlife Park in South Australia in late 2024.
This latest birth follows the success of Miffy and Louie Jet — Franklin’s brother — who last year produced Djilba, the first koala joey born at Yanchep in 15 years.
Park staff say they will continue to closely monitor the health and wellbeing of both Poppy and her joey, who are doing very well under their care, with Perth Zoo vets scheduled to inspect the joey as it develops.
Visitors invited to name the new joey
Park visitors are now being invited to choose a name for the new joey from a shortlist of four options by placing a token into one of four koala feeding tubes at the park’s McNess House Visitors Centre.
The four names on offer are:
Karla – an Aboriginal word meaning “fire”
Scout – recognising the joey’s keenness to venture out of the pouch
Pembi – a tribute to former Yanchep senior ranger John Wheeler, who was from Pemberton
Ash – from the koala’s scientific name Phascolarctos cinereus, which translates to “ash‑coloured pouched bear”
The winning name will be announced after the spring school holidays.
Koalas at Yanchep: a long‑standing attraction with a conservation role
Koalas have been part of Yanchep National Park since 1938 and can be viewed from a visitor boardwalk that winds through the carefully managed habitat.
The park’s koala attraction is best viewed between 8am and 4.30pm and is open daily.
Yanchep’s colony serves as a healthy satellite breeding population, contributing to wider national conservation efforts for the species, supported through the Zoos and Aquarium Association.
Minister and local MP welcome the birth
Western Australia’s Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn congratulated the koala parents and park staff, saying: “Everyone loves welcoming a little one into the family, so congratulations to Poppy and Franklin Doogsie and all our dedicated Parks and Wildlife Service staff at Yanchep National Park.”
“What’s almost as exciting as the arrival of the joey is the chance to name it, which is exactly what park visitors are being invited to do,” he said.
Minister Swinbourn highlighted the broader significance of the colony: “The Yanchep koala colony plays an important role in safeguarding the species by maintaining populations outside its traditional range.”
“They are also a key part of WA’s nature‑based tourism attractions and I hope it continues to encourage visitors to learn about this iconic Australian animal,” he added.
Butler MLA Lorna Clarke described the birth as “wonderful news for staff, visitors and the local community that another joey has been born at Yanchep”.
“Yanchep National Park is a great driver of tourism and local jobs. It attracts around 450,000 visitors each year and is cherished for its trails, wildlife and unique koala colony,” she said.
“There is no better way to appreciate the outdoors than to bring the family to Yanchep,” Clarke added.
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