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The marsupial dubbed 'Bowie' has heterochromia - giving it a bright blue right eye while the left one is brown. It is a condition similar to the one that helped define the unique look of the koala's namesake, the late David Bowie.
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The young female koala was taken to Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital on the Sunshine Coast last month after it was hit by what was thought to be a car near Brendale, north of Brisbane. Treating veterinarian Dr Sharon Griffiths said Bowie's different coloured eyes do not affect its vision.
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"Apart from being extremely lucky in avoiding injury on the road, she's also incredibly unique as heterochromia isn't a common occurrence in koalas; it's more often found in domestic mammal species such as dogs and cats," Dr Griffiths said. The hospital said the condition was the result of a recessive gene inherited from parents that affects the pigmentation in the iris. Bowie has also been treated for mild cystitis. She will eventually be released back into the wild.
2 comments:
David Bowie did not have heterochromia, he had one fixed dilated pupil.
This dog apparently has heterochromia which cuts horizontally across its eyes. http://imgur.com/9hsoRFM
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