#115-365 Furry

Here is another Iconic Aussie, and I don't know all the animals in the world but if there is one that personifies furry more than these guys I am ready to be illucidated but doubt that I will be convinced.

The babies are even moreso, but don't be fooled what seems to be placid fur, if antagonized, pestered, annoy, is in a bad mood or you get between her and her baby, then the title changes to FURY.

Have a good look at Mum's front claws, they are designed to keep her safely attached to a tree maybe 200-300 feet in the air in all sorts of winds, and the same design ensures that the baby on her back stays put as well. I was working in a Signals Unit with the Army when one of the technicians noticed a large koala about 200 feet up a transmission tower. (In the koala's defence, if I was forced to subsist on eucalyptus leave my vision would be wonky too) Nothing we could say could dissuade him from rescuing it, needless to say as he approached it barked a loud warning that made me back off and I was on the ground. (Did I mention that the koala was a BIG Bull Male in the prime of his life) In the ensuing tussle the koala got dislodged from the steel beams, the nails aren't that strong, and he fell 200 feet to the ground, got up turned threateningly towards us growled savagely clambered over the barbed wire fence and limped into the scrub behind the antennae farm.

I took three medics to rescue the Tech. One to staunch the bleeding so that he only lost about a pint and a half of blood. When he got out of hospital where he had been re-christened Rescue - 8 from an old TV program of the time, he had acquired 134 new stitches to hold him together. Not trying to scare just warn, If I get the opportunity to hold one I do, they feel like big heavy squirmy teddy bears and I don't even mind the unremovable stains if they get caught short or want to give you something to remember, Neither the stain or the smell every quite goes away.

So if you get the chance nurse one especially the babies they are cuter than either Tammy or Karen can imagine, but if those Ladies come here I will organize the Koala for them to nurse. You most likely saw that shot during the recent bush-fires in Victoria where the fireman got his 15 minutes of fame by feeding water to an animal that is known not to drink. I must have watched that footage a thousand times because the Koala burned and sore as he was KNEW he had to have water and if you look at the footage again he new that he had only minutes to get the water or he was dead, that was great news gathering.

They normally don't drink at all, the leaves provide everything, but due to its low nutritional value they usually sleep around 20 -22 hours a day, just to digest the leaves, which means that they beat Lions for sleep, cause Lions sleep on an average 18-20 hours a day but they are cats and are naturally lazy, Sally thinks I am part cat.