He is a little shy and stays close to his mother for most of the time, but Willie, the first koala born in Africa, can now be seen by the public.
Doing what koalas do best, the youngster was sleeping on Wednesday, one of his first days in the public viewing area at the National Zoo in Pretoria.
Little Willie was born in January this year has been kept with his mother Renee separate from the other three koalas and out of public view until now.
The conservation staff have agreed that the joey, as young koalas are known, is old enough to venture out into the public viewing area.
The youngster is now eating eucalyptus and is weaned off his mother’s milk.
The koalas at the National Zoo are fed eight different species of eucalyptus daily and sleep for up 20 hours a day.
Visitors are allowed to take photographs of young Willie but not with a flash, because that might just disturb his sleep. — Sapa