Yvette Brown Koalas are lovely fuzzy animals that have a recognition for being calm, pleasant creatures. This is mostly genuine but they are wild animals and can act unpredictably. Koalas have long sharp claws on all four of their feet and teeth that can snip through leaves. But are koalas dangerous? Yes. So let me tell you the truth about koalas.
What Is A Koala
Koalas are occasionally called koala bears because they look like teddy bears, but they’re actually marsupials, not bears. Other marsupials, like kangaroos and opossums, carry their youthfulness in their sacks. Koalas have thick slate fur and large fluffy ears. They have a black round nose and small yellowish-brown eyes. Koalas are about 24- 33 elevation altitudinous and weigh around 30lbs., about the same size as a two-year-old child. Australia is the home of koalas which live nearly entirely in eucalyptus trees. While some animals are opportunistic feeders, eating whatever they can get their hands on, koalas have one of the most limited diets in the world. Eucalyptus leaves are about all they eat.
Are Koalas Friendly Or Dangerous
Whenever you see a koala, on television or in a zoo, you’ll naturally be allured by its cuteness. The way they sit hugging a tree or munch on their favorite eucalyptus leaves makes them look and feel like nature’s own stuffed teddy bears.
But, behind this adorable face is a dark side – koalas aren’t friendly animals.
When it comes to characterizing a beast as dangerous, it’s typically done based on how aggressive the animal is and/ or how likely they’re to attack.
Attacks
As hard as it can be to believe, these adorable little marsupials are known to snap at times. Yes, they love to keep to themselves, gorging and snoozing, but they can turn cranky and vicious snappily when approached by humans, trying to gentle or snuggle them, which can make them feel threatened or vulnerable.
Such incidents leave wildlife experts surprised because koalas are, generally, veritably calm and spend around 22 hours a day sleeping. But, it’s apparent that these animals can become relatively dangerous when they feel irritated or bothered.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common disease affecting koalas. With at least half of wild koalas known to be infected with this disease, it also happens to be one of the reasons for the decline of the koala population.
Yes, the disease is painful for the marsupials, causing various infections and other conditions. But, what’s more, unnerving is that it can be transmitted to humans.
Of the two main strains of chlamydia, the less common strain, chlamydia pneumonia, can be transmitted to humans, if an infected koala urinates on a person. Though a koala urinating on a person is a doubtful incident, the disease can be transmitted when it does happen.
Is It Safe To Touch A Koala
To keep away from stress and fear from people they don’t know, koalas need to only be held through accredited personnel, such as educated rangers. Selected sanctuaries and wildlife parks will allow site visitors to touch a koala and even keep it, however, under strict supervision and keep the health and safety of koalas in the first place.
Holding koalas in most states in Australia is illegal, and even in locations where it is allowed, if the animal suggests signs and symptoms of stress, trained personnel will no longer enable you to preserve it. It is protected to hold solely if the animal is calmed and below the supervision of trained personnel.
Can A Koala Kill You
Koalas have been acknowledged to go after smaller animals and even humans, however, it is not likely that koalas will kill you. They have one-inch claws for hiking the trees, and claws that can flip into weapons and cause extreme accidents if they experience a threat.
Their chew is no longer a piece of cake either. Although exceptionally not likely that koalas will really kill you, their chew can cause injuries and contamination if no longer treated on time. In most cases, koalas are the ones who get hurt by different animals and careless drivers.
Do Koalas Bite
Though rare, yes, there are circumstances of koalas biting humans. Their jaws are extremely strong and powerful, which makes it easy for them to make a person bleed with their vigorous bite.
One illustration is the same incident that was bandied earlier. The South Australian woman was bit so hard by the koala, snapping its jaws onto her leg and not letting go, that she had to prise her fingers into the animal’s mouth to make it release its grip.
The bite was veritably painful, and the injury was deep, as explained by the victim.
Koalas have sharp front teeth that they use to snap their favorite eucalyptus leaves for a mess; but, what you should know is that those teeth are sharp enough to cut through the soft skin of humans too.
How Do Koalas Attack
When koalas lose their cool and start to attack, they use the two most damage-causing parts of their body – their claws and their teeth.
During an act of aggression, koalas tend to use these claws to scratch and leave marks on other animals and humans, causing them to bleed.
The claws of koalas are sharp and long, which they use to climb trees and grab onto branches. Their claws are so strong that they leave deep marks on trees when they climb.
It’s relatively analogous to their teeth too. Their front teeth are razor-sharp, enabling them to fluently tear down their food, which is eucalyptus leaves, most of the time.
Still, the sharpness of their teeth, along with their strong jaw, makes them capable of piercing through the skin of humans, causing bloody injuries and serious damage.
Conclusions
Koalas are solitary animals that spend time on their own. But, similar to most other wild animals, they can get aggressive and assault when they sense threatened or vulnerable, sense a danger to their younger ones, and reach their maximum threshold for stress.
