Crikey! It’s a werekoala! Hard to believe * that * sound came out of something so small and cute.
There. There koala. 
They can also be quite violent, especially during mating season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfen2ya0n0U“That’ll do, koala.”
That first one was downright Springeresque. Or like two short, fat men in a drunken brawl.
When the koala came in it was amusing - mostly.
I heard my cat making “there is something in here I’m not happy about” noises. I was rather amazed to see a smallish female koala sitting in his box, clearly eyeing off the curtains as something possibly climbable. Koalas are tubby things, but they climb trees, and their claws are built to allow them to climb what appear to be almost polished surfaces of gum trees. They are large and sharp. You don’t cuddle a wild koala. So I walked behind it and picked it up under the armpits from behind, avoiding the claws. I carried it outside, and gingerly put it down. The little sh*t spun around and raked a claw down my forearm leaving a quite spectacular welt.
Koalas spend almost their entire time asleep in trees. They will move from tree to tree, once every few days, and are one of the most ungainly things you have seen walking on the ground.
We usually ask if the Pope shits in the woods. We are funny like that.
“Springeresque”?
They seem to be a danger to dogs as well (and no doubt vice-versa), as seen in this video (NSFW):
Also, what to when you can’t wait for People With Guns.
Nah. Koalas are pretty elusive creatures. They’re all around us but up high in trees and not often seen up close. A close up koala sighting is cool.
[hey Richard how ya been?]
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ‘moving’ koala. Mostly they’re asleep in the crook of a branch doing absolutely nothing. Trying to get kids enthused about spotting one is pretty pointless.
Now 'roos and wallabies on the other hand…they DO stuff.
I live in an inner Canberra suburb (the same suburb where the Prime Minister’s official residence is, so not exactly out in the country), yet we regularly have kangaroos in our streets. In fact last Saturday there were 2 at our local playground.
They come down from a nearby reserve on Red Hill.
I’ve seen them between Belconnen Mall and the university. But with new hospital and the suburbanisation of Lawson, that will be a thing of the past.
Good thanks Leo!
kambucta, true. They don’t do a whole lot unless you happen to come across one looking for a drink.
This was at Kangaroo Island.
I lived in Canberra in the 70’s on the edge of town (Torrens). Behind us was the bush. There were kangaroos all over. They often came into our yard. They would just jump over our fence. I never saw a koala outside of a wildlife refuge though.
Sorry; the brawling koalas remind me of contestants on a reality talk show who inevitably start fighting on the stage, a la the Jerry Springer show.
**Francis Vaughn **, I love that story. Not sure if I’d have the presence of mind.
A former boyfriend of mine spent his childhood in Adelaide and every time I ever mentioned koalas his comment would always be “scratchy bastards”. I think someone here once said they’re “assholes”. 
I know they’re wild beasts who only *resemble * stuffed animals, but damn if they aren’t the cutest creatures.
[hijack, sort of, due to SerenDipitous[sup]TM[/sup] news story today]
Aussies: Why did authorities trap this croc in the first place?
Rangers capture mammoth crocodile after decade-long hunt
IT TOOK 10 years but rangers have finally caught the biggest croc in the Katherine River — weighing in at a whopping 600kg.
And what the heck does “a ten year hunt” mean? Was it the Great White Croc famous in Aussie myth and lore or something?
[/hijack]
What about dingos? Are they kept away from playgrounds?
I’m pretty sure this OP is just itching to turn into Ask an Aussie about Famously Weird-Ass Fauna in Oz