Tuesday 17 October 2017

Koala

Here are some shots of that classic Australia - the Koala.  Just to be clear, this is not any sort of bear, and it's closest relative happens to be the wombat!

These chaps were sitting in the road side trees on the way to Cape Otway.  In the past this habitat has been damaged by the numbers of Koala in the trees.  We did not see as many as in the past - but they were hardly scarce.

The animal in the first image has a really messy eye, and as conjunctivitis is one of the symptoms of a  chlamydia infection, this animal may be sick.  The chlamydia infection is common in Koala, but it only becomes a health issue of the population (or habit damage) cause high levels of stress.

However, as the second picture shows, Koalas do spend a lot of time being inactive (and this is nothing to do with 'drugs' from the leaves) its hard to tell between a sickness and natural lassitude.  The Koala spends some much time immobile because it's gut is basically a large fermenter, and the animal is waiting for the bacteria in its gut to work their chemical magic on otherwise indigestible food.  Once the bacteria have broken done the food - bought gum leaves in this case - the koala either digests the waste  produced by the bacteria, or the bacteria themselves!   Charming!

The last set of pictures show a female - and at times you could get a glimpse of a young koala with her - but I was not able to capture an image of that.

So, here is a Koala, and if you could get there name right it would be good - as they already have enough to bear!







You can find more pictures from around the world here at Our World Tuesday.

17 comments:

  1. I enjoyed seeing Koalas when we were there but they have so many fleas or whatever!!! Great photos. Cheers Diane

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  2. Hari OM
    Yeah, they're cute - no get round it, in spite of their'ocker' ways! YAM xx

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  3. Hello, beautiful photos.. Love koala. Cheers

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  4. Love them. We saw them on a reserve when we visited Australia. A thrill for us!

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  5. Great photos!
    I hope you are having a wonderful week!

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  6. I've never seen one in person and enjoyed your photos and your info. They do look cute no matter what kind of animal they are.

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  7. Wonderful photography of the Koala ~ intriguing animal and great information from you too ~ ^_^

    A ShutterBug Explores ~ aka ~ (A Creative Harbor)

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  8. You have to admit they do look very cute.

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  9. You are so koala-fied to bring us all the latest info about these creatures!

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  10. Awww.....they are such adorable animals!

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  11. Well, it is about time you brought us some Koala bear pictures. Of all the wildlife in Australia, the Koala is a favorite and an Aussie Photographer just isn't genuine until he has provided us with these adorable creatures ... You are finally official :). Awesome, but sorry to hear about their health issues. Hope it isn't rampant. Great fun, Stewart ... they are adorable!

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  12. I wish I could cuddle one of them. Is that even allowed?

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  13. I love those little bears..I used to have a real stuffed one when I was little..It's probably illegal now..should be..Wonderful pictures..

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  14. They are both beautiful and amazing, but their dining habits are a bit gross.
    Nice pics Stewart!

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  15. He looks so cute! I knew they are inactive but didn't know they were prone to infections. He may look nice but it is better to watch wild animals from a distance. #OurWorldTuesday

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  16. I think they are adorable... did know they were not a bear, but did not know any of the rest of the information.... certainly my one new thing to learn today .... thanks for this....I can only imagine coming across these on an ordinary drive.

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