Koalas are, surely, some of the cutest creatures on earth. With their fluffy ears, round bodies and beady eyes, they look like the softest plush toys; however, behind the cute koala exterior, a lot is going on with these marsupial animals. Their primary food source is eucalyptus tree leaves that are low in protein and high in toxins. Head of Koalas at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Karen Nilsson, provided some fun facts about the animal. "They don't rest/sleep for 18-20 hours straight - they have short periods of activity throughout 24 hours but their most active times are around dawn and dusk," she told Bored Panda. "Contrary to rumors, you cannot catch Chlamydia from koalas!" she added. Despite being extremely slow, these small marsupials are rarely preyed upon, with only dingos, large pythons and some birds of prey sometimes attacking.
That would make you think 'oh, great, they must live for quite a while', and while that statement might be right to some extent as the beady-eyed koala bears (that are, in fact, marsupials) can survive up to 18 years, there are a plethora of problems that the lil' guys face in their existence. Tumblr has come together once again to address some of the little known animal facts about koalas and explain why they're approaching an "evolutionary dead-end." Scroll down below to read them and tell us what you think!
More info: koala.net
While koalas have an absolutely adorable exterior, behind it there's a plethora of problems that they face
Image credits: Erik Veland
And people of Tumblr have come together to discuss some of them
Image credits: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary