'David Bowie of koalas' found in Queensland

A koala with David Bowie eyes has been found in Queensland, leaving vets to marvel over rare appearance.

Bowie, a koala

A koala with David Bowie-style mismatched eyes has been found in Queensland. (AAP)

The David Bowie of koalas has been found in Queensland and like the late superstar, her mismatched eyes have left fans mesmerised.

Staff from Australia Zoo's rescue unit picked up the injured koala near a roadside north of Brisbane last month and when they peered into her eyes were surprised to find a blue one and a brown one staring back.

Carers have dubbed her Bowie, a nod to the late superstar whose unique eyes were one of his defining features.

In Bowie the koala's case, her different coloured eyes are the result of heterochromia, a condition very rarely seen in koalas.
Bowie the singer didn't have heterochromia, but his condition, characterised by a permanently dilated left pupil, gave him the appearance of also having one blue and one brown eye.

When the koala is released soon, it's possible she could pass on her genetic condition to her offspring.

"Bowie's heterochromia doesn't affect how she sees the world around her, in fact her eyesight is great, exactly what we like to see in a young koala," treating vet Sharon Griffiths says.

"She's incredibly unique as heterochromia isn't a common occurrence in koalas; its more often found in domestic mammal species such as dogs and cats."

Bowie escaped any major injuries after apparently being hit by a car.

It's hoped she'll be given her ticket back to the wild very soon after being treated for a slight limp.

Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
'David Bowie of koalas' found in Queensland | SBS News