Animals

If anyone asks an American what kind of animals are in Australia, you would probably get one of two answers: kangaroos and koalas. Well, if you’re a Looney Toons fan, you might mention the Tasmanian Devil. (They look sort of like big rats to me, not like the cartoon!)

This is a gray kangaroo, pretty much fully grown. The picture was taken (yes, that’s me) at Pebbly Beach in New South Wales. Pebbly Beach has a lot of kangaroos and, since tourists feed them (they’re not supposed to), they are not afraid of man. That could be dangerous since, while they are cute, they do have very sharp claws and could do a lot of damage. A number of the ‘roos had joey’s (baby kangaroos) in their pouches. We didn’t try to approach any of them not knowing how they would react. (I’ll try and find some of those pictures to add here later). Anyway, this little guy was very content to let me pose with him (her?).

The koala looks like a little cuddly bear. They’re not bears and they’re not cuddly. I hate to spoil the image many Americans might have of the koala, but their hair feels like a Brillo pad (steel wool for those not familiar with that product.) This picture was taken at a local park. I understand they are difficult to find in the wild where I was. In any case, I got to hold one (sharp claws!) which was interesting. This little fella seems to be asleep. That’s what they do. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. I understand the Aborigines believe they get drunk off of the gum leaves (their only diet is eucalyptus leaves or gum leaves). It’s more likely they’re concentrating their energy on digesting food that’s poisonous to most other animals.