Pap - The first solid food of the Koala Joeys

Pap is the first solid food eaten by the koala joeys as part of their lifecycle. Pap as the solid is only produced by the mother koalas for their joeys. Furthermore; pap is the first step for the koala joeys to shift from the mother’s milk to the solid diet i.e., the Eucalyptus leaves. Therefore; this food helps the koala joeys to get used to with the real taste of the Eucalyptus leaves.

Pap is the first solid food eaten by the koala joeys and it serves as the transitional diet of the koala joeys from their mother’s milk to the solid diet of Eucalyptus leaves.

Despite the fact that pap is said to be the solid food for the joeys, pap is almost 80% water. Pap appears as the jelly-like substance that is dark green in color. Therefore; it is very soft, pulpy and mushy to touch. This article explores pap as the food for the koala joeys from various perspectives such as its production by the mother koalas, consumption by joeys and nutritional values etc.

Pap is the first solid food of Koala joey
Pap is the first solid food which is produced by the mother koalas for their joeys. Photo courtesy of  

What is Pap
First Solid Diet of Koala Joeys
Pap is Produced by
Mother Koalas for Joeys
Pap Serves as
The Transitional Diet
Pap Appears as
Jelly-like Substance
Pap is Almost
80% Water Contents

Koala Joey's Solid Food.
Pap is the first solid diet of the koala joeys. Pap is 80% water and appears like jelly-like diet for the koala joeys. Photo courtesy of 

Pap as a food is present within the hindgut or caecum of the mother koalas. It is entirely made up of Eucalyptus leaves. Some people associate pap with the fecal matters of koalas but this is not true. According to the koala experts, pap is produced on the demand of the koala joey to its mother.

Pap as the first solid food for the koala joeys is excreted by the koala mothers from their anus and it appears after the discharge of the fecal matters. It is excreted on demand by koala mothers for their joeys.

For this purpose, a koala joey nuzzles and rubs its mouth around the anus areas of its mother and as a result pap is excreted by the mother koalas along with the fecal matters. At first the solid fecal matters which appear as pellets are excreted and at the very end pap starts to get excreted by the mother koalas. Pap as mentioned earlier is dark green in color along with watery and jelly feeling.

Mother koalas excrete pap after pellets.
Mother koalas excrete pap after excreting the pellets from their anus. Pap is excreted on demand by the mother koalas for their joeys. Photo courtesy of  

Pap's Presence
Hindgut of Mother Koalas
Pap's Composition
Finely Chewed Eucalyptus
Pap is Produced
On Demand by Koala Joey
First Fecal Matters are Excreted
Onwards Pap is Excreted

Koala Joey eat pap as their first solid food.
Pap is the first solid food that is being eaten by the baby koala joey. This picture belongs to 

The koala joeys can only feed on the pap when they have the strength to come out of their mother’s pouch. Usually; the koala joeys start feeding on pap from their 6th month and onwards. However; some sources have also quoted that the pap feeding by the koala joeys start from the 5th month and onwards. The koala joeys continue to feed on the pap food until their teeth start to emerge within their mouth.

A koala joey starts feeding on pap from the 6th month and onwards. Joeys continue to feed on pap unless teeth emerge within their mouth and they can directly eat the Eucalyptus leaves.

When their teeth emerge, they start feeding on the fresh Eucalyptus leaves extracted by them on their own. Since, their teeth usually appear from 7th to 8th months for the koala joeys, therefore; we can safely assume that the koala joeys rely on pap as the solid food for almost 4 to 8 weeks.

Koala joeys start eating pap from 6th month onwards.
The koala joeys start eating pap when they are six months old and they continue to eat it unless they start feeding on Eucalyptus leaves. Photo courtesy of  

Koala Joeys Eat Pap from
6th Month and Onwards
Joeys Continue to Eat Pap
Unless their Teeth Emerge
Joeys Stop Eating Pap when they
Start Consuming Eucalyptus Leaves
Koala Joeys Eat Pap
For almost 8 Weeks

Koala pap is not faeces but nutrition for Koala Joeys.
Koalas' pap is not an excreted faeces but rather it comprises of oodles of nutrition for the young Koala Joeys. This Picture belongs to 

Pap as diet specifically helps the koala joeys to gain a relatively faster growth as compared to their mother’s milk. Therefore; when the koala joeys are being fed on pap their growth rate is strongest amongst all of their previous growth periods. Therefore; eating pap as their key diet serves as one of the most important phases of the koala joeys.

The koala joeys experience a relatively faster growth period when they start feeding on pap as their first solid diet after their mother’s milk.

Without pap a koala joey may become very weak because their mothers’ milk may not be able to support their joey’s energy requirements when they are six months old. Therefore; the absence of pap within the koala joeys’ diet may threaten their survival because it may decrease their immune system as well.

Koala Joeys Grow
Faster with Pap
Eating Pap is
Very Important for Joeys
Pap Supports
Energy Requirements of Joeys

Koala joeys start growing faster when they are fed with pap by their mothers.
Pap allows koala joeys to grow faster and bigger because it is very nutritious for the koala joeys. Photo courtesy of 

Most importantly; pap as part of the koala joeys’ diet also offers greater nutritional values. According to researchers, pap as the solid diet is fully enriched with microbes and nutrients for the koala joeys. Furthermore; pap is the finely chewed food by the koala mothers, therefore; it easily gets digested by the koala joeys. The koala joeys still try to chew them despite not having any teeth at all in their mouth.

Pap as a diet contains a lot of microbes and nutrients for the koala joeys. It also contains symbiotic bacteria which also helps them in digestion.

Just like the adult koalas, most of the digestion of pap food usually takes place in their stomach. Lastly; pap also contains a lot of symbiotic bacteria which helps in degradation of tannins within the stomach of the koala joeys.

Pap Offers
Nutritional Values for Koala Joeys
Pap Contains
Microbes & Nutrients
Pap Easily Gets
Digested by Koala Joeys
Paps is Rich in
Symbiotic Bacteria

Pap comprises of microbes and nutrients for the koala joeys.
Pap contains microbes and nutrients which are very essential for the growth of the koala joeys. Photo courtesy of 

Lastly; in the case of the orphaned koala joeys, pap is given to them (at six months old) from another female koala which also has a joey feeding on the pap diet as well. It is advisable not to freeze the pap as koala joeys only essentially feed on the fresh pap.

The orphaned koala joeys are also given fresh pap from another mother which is also feeding pap to its young joey. It is advisable not to freeze pap for the orphaned joeys.

However; if pap is not available, the koala pellets are mixed with water and are given to the koala joeys. Often pap is also extracted from the koalas’ stomach which die in the accidents or through dog attacks. Pap is usually collected from their hindguts and is sent to the animal sanctuaries for the orphaned koalas across Australia.

Orphaned Koala Joeys
Are Fed pap of another Mother Koala
If Pap is not Available
Pellets are mixed with Water as alternative
It is not Advisable
To Freeze pap

Orphaned koala joeys are given pap of another female koala joey.
Many orphaned koala joeys are given pap from another mother koala which feeds pap to its joeys. Photo courtesy of