How much can a Koala bear????

Thought I might post a video of a firefighter finding a surviving koala in a burnt out bush.

In Australia we have a term 'how much can a Koala bear?'... it's a tongue in check thing as most people outside of Aust assume Koala's are little bears when they are actually marsupials.

In tragedies like this, we often forget that the loss of wildlife is also huge... it is estimated that we have lost over 1million animals.

http://player.video.news.com.au/hera...DVTVmNzvM39fBl

The photo of the little cutie getting a drink from the fireman has been everywhere lately. Not only lovely, and inspirational, but as you have noted, also a reminder of the toll the fires have had on wildlife.

I felt like mentioning the suffering of a cockatoo as well but I didn't think it was appropriate. Damn that Austen Tayshus!!

Horrific stuff that will impact on the Nation long after our fires have been put out.

What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through The Fire. Bukowski

I had heard somewhere that koala bears are really mean. Something about how they drop out of trees and start scratching away at your face. Australian drop bears was the nick name I believe.

Any truth to that? are they really vicious or as cute and friendly as everyone seems to think?

I'm not so sure about the dropping out of trees part, but koalas have been known to be violent when disturbed. Those claws can do considerable damage to human flesh. People need to keep in mind that while koalas are extremely cute, they are in fact wild animals and not the living teddy bears they appear to be.

It's best to just leave them alone. Koalas need to eat for three out of the five hours a day they are active.

I'm glad that poor thing was rescued. I saw on the news that he's recovering from burned paws AND he already has a girl friend. Yea!

Barbwire a.k.a. Cowboy Lover

No, they don't drop out of trees. If you handle one, be prepared to be scratched.

And pissed on too....