Koala Terrifies Australian Farmer

[bradl]

Having seen and held them firsthand, while we may think that they are cute and cuddly, these little bitties sure as hell aren't your lovable Kwicky Koala. They can be vicious; especially with the claws and double opposable thumbs. As such, this one had a think for the farmer's ATV. So.. well... enjoy!

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...dly-think-again-koala-terrifies-aussie-farmer

Cute And Cuddly? Think Again. Koala Terrifies Aussie Farmer
By Eyder Peralta
August 17, 201510:55 AM ET

You thought koalas were cute and cuddly, right?

Well, you should ask Ebony Churchill, an Australian dairy farmer, about that.

Churchill uploaded a video on Facebook over the weekend that shows a big koala chasing after her.
"They've got hard, sharp claws, and I didn't want to have him grabbing at my leg as I was on the bike," she told her local paper, The Advertiser.

At one point, after she can't go any farther on the four-wheeler, she ditches the vehicle and sees the Koala hugging one of the tires.

"He sat on the tire for a while and I didn't want to upset him," she told the paper. "I started herding the cows on foot and when I looked back, he had got off the bike and was walking away."

Of course, this is not normal koala behavior. They would normally run from people.

Mashable spoke to Deakin University wildlife and conservation biologist Desley Whisson. It reports:

"[She] believed the koala might have been confusing the sound of the bike with that of a koala mate. 'Male koalas frequently bellow in response to airplanes, tractors, chain saws, etc.,' Whisson said. 'It may be that they confuse these noises as bellows by other koalas. We're at the beginning of the breeding season so perhaps heightened testosterone levels may be responsible.'"

This reminds us of two previous stories recounted on this blog.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204599048038423

I love the first comment.

BL.

 

[satcomer]

Maybe it had rabies?

 

[bradl]

Maybe it had rabies?

Mating season down there. All of the kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas are in heat. This little bugger thought the wheel was his mate getting away..

Surprised we didn't see a bit of a dry hump!

BL.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Man these guys are so scary. Only puppies are even more lethal!

 

[juanm]

I once caught a wounded Koala after climbing to a tree. I can assure you they are blood thirsty vicious animals. Huge claws, very bad temper.

 

[CrickettGrrrl]

Basically, your average Vulcan teddy-bear.

 

[bradl]

Basically, your average Vulcan teddy-bear.

Not necessarily so..

https://au.news.yahoo.com/sa/a/25679595/dogwalker-attacked-by-koala/

Dogwalker attacked by koala
7News Adelaide December 3, 2014, 5:44 pm

A woman has been left bloodied and required a four-day stay in hospital after being attacked by a koala north of Adelaide.

But despite her injuries, she says she doesn’t blame the animal for the brutal attack.

Williamstown woman Mary Anne Forster said she was walking her two dogs a fortnight ago when they pulled her towards a koala at the base of a tree.

“Obviously the koala felt very threatened because it attached itself with its mouth, jaws, to my leg and bit very hard, bit very deeply,” she said.

After a struggle, she managed to break free.

“Because it wouldn’t let go, I put my fingers in its mouth and pried its jaws open to release my leg,” Ms Forster said.

The assistant principal hobbled more than two kilometres home and was then taken to hospital.

She needed 12 stitches.

“All wild animals have dirty bites and so it was a matter of covering with the antibiotics because it became very infected, it was very swollen and painful,” she said.

Environmental experts have warned people to keep their distance if they spot a koala out in the wild.

“Just leave them alone, certainly don’t let dogs go near them because they will fight back, they’ve got big claws and big teeth,” Dr Deb Kelly from the Environment Department said.

tl;dr: They're cute, cuddly, but they're vicious, so don't piss 'em off, especially if you see them in the wild.

I was lucky enough to see one peeing on a tourist in a wildlife sanctuary, all because they were in a drunken stupor, and the tourist didn't know any better than to try to climb the tree the koala was in to pet it.

BL.

 

[CrickettGrrrl]

Not necessarily so..

https://au.news.yahoo.com/sa/a/25679595/dogwalker-attacked-by-koala/



tl;dr: They're cute, cuddly, but they're vicious, so don't piss 'em off, especially if you see them in the wild.

I was lucky enough to see one peeing on a tourist in a wildlife sanctuary, all because they were in a drunken stupor, and the tourist didn't know any better than to try to climb the tree the koala was in to pet it.

BL.

 

[vkd]

"On Vulcan the 'teddy bears' are alive and they have 6" fangs."

Only in the fantasy fictional world of Sci Fi science fiction.

 

[mscriv]

Most animals, no matter how cute, can be pretty nasty in terms of aggression when they feel threatened or if there is another biological factor involved as has already been speculated.

 

[ProjectManager101]

I would run towards it and receive that hug!