Koalas are rare creatures. They're native only to Australia and (apart from in a few zoos around the world) are found nowhere else on earth. ๐
They're mammals but a strange kind of mammals known as a marsupial; their babies live in a pouch (that's attached to the mother's belly) for the first chunk of baby's life until they're big enough to fend for themselves. ๐จ
Koalas are very, very picky eaters. They eat a diet made up exclusively of leaves, but not just any leaves. There's only a handful of (Eucalyptus) trees whose leaves they'll much on. This means koalas are almost always to be found somewhere up the very tall trunks of these specific trees. ๐ณ
They're hard to spot. Not only because they're so often very high up a tree, they also sleep for about 20 hours every single day. ๐คฏ
We live in a part of Australia where the climate is good for these grey, fluffy, cute, strong, sleepy bear-looking creatures that are not actually a bear at all. Koalas are only found where their preferred food grows and, luckily for Brad and me, those same trees grow in the bush near our house. ๐ก
Still, in the 4+ years I've lived here I think I've seen a koala in the bush... twice? ๐ค
If so, today makes the third! ๐
We were doing our afternoon walk, a 4km loop through the aforementioned bush reserve, and over our right shoulder we heard a crash in the undergrowth. We hear this kind of sound almost every day when a wallaby senses a human (us) and decides we are too close and makes an escape. ๐ฆ
But there was something different about this sound. It crashed once and then not again. So either the wallaby was injured and couldn't get away...
*We walked closer to investigate...
Or it was a koala. ๐ฏ
Brad whipped his phone out quick smart to get photos. I don't know if either of us had seen a koala this close in the wild before. (I'd seen and held them in zoos and even worked with koalas briefly in one job many years ago - hence why I know so much about them off the top of my head!! ๐)
We got a bunch of photos. We marvelled in awe. We shared the happy news with another couple who walked by that we often see in the bush. And we all walked away grinning. ๐
Except maybe the koala who probably just did the koala version of sighing with relief thinking something like: "Thank God the humans have gone and now I can focus on finding a tasty bunch of leaves and a comfy fork in this big tree where I can curl up and go to sleep." ๐ค
{All photos taken by Brad, @new.things, and used here with his explicit permission.}
Awwwwwww! We have a lot of family in Australia and as a result, lots of stuffed koala bear teddies. I don't believe the real ones are so cuddly though ๐จ and even though they eat eucalyptus, I have heard it said that they smell terrible ๐คฃ is this true? I am fighting the urge to jump through the phone and cuddle one!
Hahaha. Everytime I see a koala I also want to cuddle it ๐ And they are reasonably cuddlely actually, as long as you have a thick enough top on to mitigate the sharpness of their claws. ๐
But it's actually illegal now for the public to hold koalas. They've been fighting a long (and it seems, losing) battle with Chlamydia and I think we humans somehow make it worse.
I don't remember them smelling particularly bad when I worked in the koala sanctuary but then I don't have the best sense of smell either! !LOL
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@clairemobey, I sent you an on behalf of @consciouscatI suppose it's like lion cub handling here. It sounds cute, but it's a gateway to a much more sinister tourist trade. ๐Canned hunting is what they've dubbed it. Horrible stuff. Why do people have to be assholes? ๐
I don't know... Maybe they didn't have a mumma like you to teach them to be kind? ๐คทโโ๏ธ๐
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! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoAdorable animal :)
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๐๐จ๐ !LOL
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Wow ๐ณ๐ฎ I wouldn't have the audacity to take the picture because I would be scared
But that's only because you weren't brought up learning about koalas. They might have sharp claws but they almost always run away from humans. They're much smaller than us and they're scared of us. And they eat leaves not animals, so they have far more reason to be afraid of us than the other way around :)
I promise, they're cute. And kind of stupid, !LOL
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ENTER @WIN.HIVE'S DAILY DRAW AND WIN HIVE!@friday777, I sent you an on behalf of @consciouscat
Thanks, @wesphilbin! I hope you are doing okay? !HUG
@consciouscat...
You are most welcome! I am hanging in there; the weather in Missouri is starting up with the summer fun (high temps... humidity... storms) so this always flares my Multiple Sclerosis. But I know this is how life will be... so I remain positive! What an awesome experience this was! Perfect example of "Being in the right place at the right time" for sure. I have a very good friend (internet friend... never met ) that lives in QLD. He is always talking about Koala Bears... especially in regards to how many lose their lives each year, in all the terrible fires. So... to me, this is an even more special treat... thank you for sharing this experience with us!
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