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New Koala Arrives At Albuquerque BioPark

The latest addition to the Albuquerque BioPark is a 20-month-old koala named Luke.

Zoo officials announced Tuesday that the male Queensland koala arrived from the Los Angeles Zoo on Monday night. He was accompanied by a zookeeper who will help as the animal makes the transition to his new home.

BioPark officials say Luke will be living behind-the-scenes in the zoo's Australia exhibit.

Zoo Manager Lynn Tupa says the BioPark is one of only a few zoos in the country with the expertise to care for koalas.

The BioPark is already home to the only Victorian koala in North America, a male named Zaki.

Officials say Zaki will remain in the zoo's koala exhibit as long as possible and is being carefully monitored by keepers for age-related health issues. He'll be 18 years old next month.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.