Koalas form a very strong attachment to their mothers because they have one of the longest mother–dependent childhoods among marsupials. A joey lives in its mother’s pouch for about six months, then clings to her back or belly for another six months or more while learning to find and digest eucalyptus leaves, navigate trees, and recognize safe habitats. During this entire period, the mother is the joey’s sole source of warmth, security, milk, and guidance. Because koalas are solitary as adults,