SYDNEY, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The spring season has brought record numbers of new koalas and Tasmanian devils at the Australian Reptile Park, with the wildlife sanctuary just north of Sydney experiencing a "baby boom."
Although general manager Tim Faulkner said it is very common to see an increase in births during the springtime, this year park staff have been shocked by the huge increase.
"We are so excited by all of our gorgeous new additions to our Reptile Park family," he said in a statement on Monday.
"It's so fantastic that our breeding programs are doing so well so we can continue to educate visitors about the plight of some of these species."
"Whether they're helping to raise awareness about a decline in population, teaching people to check pouches of animals killed by road strike or even just generally helping people to put a face to our endangered species and maybe making them care just a little more."
So far, 11 baby koalas have been born along with 50 Tasmanian devils, with many other species also seeing a jump in births.
Although Faulkner said the animal handlers are overjoyed by the tremendous success of the park's conservation programs, he admitted it can be overwhelming caring for the youngsters.
Many of the newborns require "around the clock attention" with some needing to be bottle-feed up to five times per day.?
