One question I’m repeatedly asked as a tour guide at the Koala Hospital is: what does a koala feel like to touch? Well, there’s very few volunteers that have the training to work directly with the koalas so I had no idea how to answer until I had the importunity to pat one at the nearby Billabong zoo.
Retirement5 thoughts on “First Touch”
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They’re tricky to spot in the wild.
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I did not know that but we never saw any in the wild.
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Only those used to humans in these environments seem harmless enough. Even then if a koala is startled or touched on the head would be dangerous. In the wild it would be quite dangerous to try and pat them, pick them up or hold them. Their claws can shred you quite badly. This picture was taken at the zoo which has a breeding program run by specialised trainers. Besides, it’s against the law in NSW to hold a koala.
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Yes, it’s in a breeding program at the zoo. This one is reared in this environment.
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I found that they enjoyed being petted but that might be because they were in a zoo, plus they had lovely soft fur.
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