As soon as the gates opened on my visit to Australia Wildlife Park in NSW, I couldn't wait to get my camera out and start photographing. Making my way around the corner, I was stopped in my tracks by this gorgeous and very photogenic koala with eyes wide open and lavishly munching on gum leaves was the perfect subject for my drawing. I wanted to accentuate how happy and content he looked. This teddy bear expression is what makes koalas adored the world over.

After the ferocious fires in 2019/20, an astonishing 12.6 million hectares of forest and bushland were gone. These fires pushed koalas to the brink. After the devastating loss of this vital habitat, logging companies and developers continue to bulldoze their forest homes. Koalas will be lost from the east coast of Australia forever if this destruction continues.