How do koalas produce young?

The mother koala has a pouch in which the young are carried (and fed) until they are old enough to gain some independence. Male koalas have nothing to do with their young, however.

Like all marsupials, koala young (joeys) are tiny, blind and hairless at birth, so they are completely helpless. Using instinct and guided by its acute sense of smell, the koala joey makes its way to the pouch where it latches onto a teat. The teat swells in its mouth, securing the joey in the pouch so that it can continue its development while feeding on a continuous supply of mother's milk.

After 30 weeks, the mother produces a substance called pap. This substance is actually a specialised form of the mother's droppings which, having passed through her digestive system, give the joey the enzymes it needs to be able to start digesting the tough gum leaves, making an easier transition for the baby koala to start eating eucalyptus leaves.

Soon after this, the joey emerges from the pouch and spends more months clinging to its mother's back. It only leaves the parent during the next breeding season.