Port Stephens Koala Hospital Mascot "Guula"

Meet “Guula” our very own soft and cuddly mascot, wearing a hospital armband & band-aid, to symbolise the many koalas we have cared for in our state-of-the-art Koala Hospital.

“Guula”  is the name for koala in the language of the Worimi.  It is a variation on Gula – the indigenous word for koala and means ‘no drink’ or ‘no water’ as it was once thought that koalas did not need water. We now know that their diet of almost entirely eucalyptus leaves varies in water content due to seasons, climate and other factors such as of course bush fires, so they do need to drink water sometimes to stay hydrated.