G'day mates! Welcome back to your very own Australian wildlife tour. Some weeks ago I started this series to show you photos, share experiences and discuss facts about exotic animals native to Australia. This article will be the end of this series. Because of this I will be showcasing two of Australia?s most iconic animals: the koala and the kangaroo. All the pictures in this particular article were taken by me at a wildlife sanctuary. Sit back, relax and enjoy the Australian adventure!
This cute and cuddly creature is known as the koala. Often koalas are referred to as koala bears because of their resemblance to teddy bears. However, koalas are not related to bears at all! The koala is a type of marsupial. In Australia, there is a popular type of Cadbury chocolate known as caramello koalas. It's not common to spot koalas in the wild although sometimes they can be found in backyard trees. The easiest way to catch sight of koalas is to visit a wild life sanctuary or a zoo. A lot of zoos and wild life sanctuaries will offer tourists a chance to have a professional photo taken of them holding a koala.
Koalas only eat leaves off a certain type of tree called the eucalyptus (pronounced you-call-lip-tus) or gum tree as a less formal term. The leaves on these trees are poisonous to almost every other animal. The name koala comes from an aboriginal word meaning no drink. Rarely do koalas drink water as most of the moisture they need is obtained by eating eucalyptus. Koalas spend a lot of their time munching on eucalyptus leaves, dozing off and just chillin' in the trees! The photo below is an example of what the typical day for these sleepy heads is like.
Unfortunately, koalas are a vulnerable species. The European settlers in the 19th and early 20th centuries hunted koalas for their fur to the point when they nearly became extinct. Laws have now been passed to protect these creatures but many threats still remain. Bushfires, domestic dog attacks, being hit by cars and habitat destruction are all main causes for the decline in number of koalas. A catchy slogan that supports the protection of koalas is: "No tree . . . No me!"
When you think Australia one of the first things that might come to mind are kangaroos. This unique marsupial is famous for being an Australian icon. It is found on the Australian dollar coin and Coat of Arms. The three most commonly known species of kangaroo are the eastern grey, the western grey and the red kangaroo. Wallabies are very similar to kangaroos, only smaller.
One of the top interesting things about kangaroos is the way they hop on their strong hind legs. This makes for super quick and easy travel while its sturdy tail helps to keep its balance. A kangaroo's hind legs cannot move independently. This is why when grazing or moving slowly the tail is used as an extra leg (shown in the photo above) and the front legs are used for support to pull the hind legs along.
Kangaroos live in groups called mobs. In a mob, there is usually one larger dominant male who is in charge of all the females and younger, weaker males. In the photo above you can probably tell who the dominant male is (the big guy sitting in the front). Male kangaroos are called bucks or boomers, females are called does or flyers and babies are called joeys. Younger males try to fight the alpha male for leadership over the mob. The way they fight looks similar to boxing as they use their front legs and claws to "punch" their opponent. They can also kick each other, which can lead to serious injury.
The best kangaroo story I have to tell is that once I witnessed a mother and joey look right and then left before crossing the road. On Christmas Eve when I was a younger child I read a book and sang a song called "The Golden Kangaroo". It was about a hero of a kangaroo who guided the way for Santa in the Australian outback because when there wasn't any snow, the reindeers couldn't go! Another famous Australian Christmas song is called "Six White Boomers" and is about a little joey who loses its mother and is helped by Santa to find her again. "Skippy the Bush Kangaroo" is an old show that used to be popular on Australian TV about a young boy who befriends a kangaroo in the bush. There are many more songs, stories, TV shows and movies that star kangaroos.
Throughout this series I've discovered more about animals I've seen before and taken for granted. It's a great feeling to know that maybe someone who isn't as familiar with these creatures might have learnt something new. Hopefully this series has sparked your interest; perhaps helped you discover something out of the ordinary. For more info go to the sources below or feel free to ask!
Author's Note: To learn more about the koala or the kangaroo see below!
Koala:
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/koalas.htm
http://www.thekoala.com/koala/#PHYSIOLOGY
Kangaroo:
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/kanga.htm
http://koalaexpress.com.au/kangaroo%20facts.htm
To watch two male kangaroos kick boxing go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXdVXPcnvRM
