Bears and Roos

Koalas

Koalas are not bears. You know why? Because, they are “unkoalafied”. I’ll see myself out now.

Koalas do not move much because the eucalyptus they ingest offers very few calories and takes a lot of energy to digest. In fact, they average twenty hours of sleep per day.

A koala climbing a branch.

A sleeping koala.

Surprise, another sleeping koala.

Kangaroos

Koalas and kangaroos are symbols of Australia. Kangaroos appear on the Australian coat of arms and some of the currency. Australian companies feature kangaroos in commercials, and some even in their logos, such as Qantas.

In the movie Arrival, Amy Adam’s character relays a myth as truth to prove a point regarding the communication misunderstandings. In the common story, then-lieutenant James Cook points to kangaroos and the locals say “kangaroo”. He takes it to mean that’s what they call the animals, only to find out much later that “kangaroo” means “I do not understand.”

Fun fact: The collective noun for kangaroos is a mob, a court or a troupe.

Anjali feeds a few kangaroos.

A roo darts across a lawn.