In 1923, koalas were introduced on Kangaroo Island off the coast of Australia. In 1996 the population was 5,000. By 2005, the population had grown to 27,000, prompting a debate on how to control their growth and avoid koalas dying of starvation.

(a) Assuming exponential growth, find the (continuous) rate of growth of the koala population between 1996 and 2005. Round your answer to 3 decimal places.

(b) Find a formula, P(t), for the population as a function of the number of years, t, since 1996.

(c) Estimate the population in the year 2021.