Are Koalas as Cute as You Think?

Tourists and new travelers coming to Australia tend to anticipate seeing and holding what

they think to be cuddly koala bears. To the unknowing, they are perceived as sweet bears but in

truth, this iconic Australian marsupial has been based on false outsider opinions for centuries.

From social media clips, movies, and pictures, Koalas have created a reputation for

themselves being cute, adorable, and very approachable, but this is not an accurate depiction of

these marsupials. Koalas, often called koala bears, are not within the bear family whatsoever but

their appearance has fooled society. Contrary to what you see digitally, koalas have many

negative attributes to them physically. No matter how sweet they may seem, this could

potentially change your opinion of koalas altogether.

Koalas have a simple diet of eucalyptus and sleep an average of 18 hours a day! Sleeping

for an extended amount of time gives them the appearance of being calm and approachable,

However, that is not the case with these marsupials. Although their soft, cuddly exterior may

confuse you, koalas have several negative characters. Koalas can be quite aggressive if they are

triggered. It is unwise to approach them in the wild because many of them are not used to human

interaction and may attack. A koala's teeth are very sharp, and they have long, razor-sharp claws,

which they may use upon feeling threatened.

Another interesting fact about koalas is that Chlamydia is found in most koalas that

inhabit Australia and is devastating koala populations. Most, if not all of these marsupials have

contracted and carry HIV disease, which can be transmitted to their offspring. The chlamydia

epidemic has left many koalas infertile and unable to survive in their natural habitat. The koala

population is in trouble.
 The population of these marsupials has been declining dramatically in recent years. In

addition to the negative impact, chlamydia has had on the koala population, they have

experienced a loss of habitat due to environmental issues such as fires and droughts occurring in

the southeast and eastern sides of Australia. According to Katharina Buchholz at Statista, “The

devastating bushfires in Eastern and Southern Australia have harmed many wildlife populations,

but koalas took an especially hard hit since the fires happened right in the middle of their only

habitat remaining in Australia.” Below is an image found from Statista’s webpage showing the

devastating percentage of the declining koala population.

 The popular saying “don’t judge a book but its cover” could be applied to koalas. People

should not judge a koala by its appearance but by the facts surrounding its lifestyle. Stereotypes

and internet photos fail to explain everything about this unique marsupial. This species will

always be a part of Australian history and known worldwide as being bears, even though they are

marsupials–nothing to do with actual bears! No matter what your opinion is on Koala bears,

there is always more to know about something. The moral of the story, koala bears are most

certainly not all they seem to be and definitely not as sweet as they look.