# How do Koala's taste? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939 "2004-05-01T04:41:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/1 "2004-05-01T04:41:07Z")
Per this article there are thousands of kolas that need to be culled to prevent an ecological disaster. So I was wondering if a farmer has a pile of koalas that need winnowing, just what does a drop bear taste like? Anyone know? [Democrats call for koala cull](http://www.abc.net.au/sa/news/200404/s1097129.htm) > [@](#): > > The Australian Democrats are calling for a cull of at least 20,000 koalas on Kangaroo Island over the next year. > > Democrat leader Sandra Kanck says the koala population explosion on the island is a looming environmental catastrophe. > > She says unless their numbers are controlled, the koalas will wipe out several species of gum trees on which they feed, and then starve to death. > > The Democrats say some farmers on Kangaroo Island are already killing koalas that venture onto their properties. > > It is estimated there are 30,000 koalas on Kangaroo Island. > > “Well the reality is that manna gums are already dying,” she said. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/2 "2004-05-01T05:49:10Z")
Well, just guessing here, but since animals tend to taste like what they eat, and since koalas eat eucalyptus leaves, I’d expect them to taste like eucalyptus. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/3 "2004-05-01T05:51:04Z")
Like chicken. ---
**Author:** ![LadyMack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@LadyMack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LadyMack)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/4 "2004-05-01T05:54:22Z")
> [@Duck Duck Goose](#): > > Well, just guessing here, but since animals tend to taste like what they eat, and since koalas eat eucalyptus leaves, I’d expect them to taste like eucalyptus. > > Yum. Ewwww. VaporRub Chili. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/5 "2004-05-01T05:55:42Z")
> [@Duck Duck Goose](#): > > Well, just guessing here, but since animals tend to taste like what they eat, and since koalas eat eucalyptus leaves, I’d expect them to taste like eucalyptus. > > Yum. Does beef taste like grass to you? ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/6 "2004-05-01T06:10:22Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Like chicken. Have you actually eaten Koala **TimeWinder**? As the koala was eaten by the aboriginals and original European settlers, I presume it is palatable. The koala is protected so has not been offered on the menus of the bush tucker restaurants along with kangaroo and emu, so can’t help you as to the taste. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/7 "2004-05-01T07:52:51Z")
I think the Kangaroo Island situation is about overpopulation in a small protected space because in general koala are an endangered species. I’m trying to find the book I read it in, I’m fairly certain it was the Letters of Rachel Henning, an early settler, where koala was described as tasting of eucalyptus. Given that eucalyptus is such a pungent leaf, it’s hard to imagine that a beastie which eats nothing but eucalyptus could taste of anything but. ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/8 "2004-05-01T08:03:05Z")
> [@jastu](#): > > Have you actually eaten Koala **TimeWinder**? Ah, I think it was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/9 "2004-05-01T09:49:58Z")
> [@cabdude](#): > > Ah, I think it was a joke. I figured as much, it would be extremely unlikely for anyone on this board to have eaten koala but this is GQ so thought I would ask. As the koala is related to the kangaroo and eats a diet of eucalyptus leaves, chicken would be the last thing I would expect it to taste like. Maybe **TimeWinder** saw [this](http://www.randomtica.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=10). ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/10 "2004-05-01T10:22:38Z")
If they’re endangered, why don’t they move the excess from Kangaroo Island to other parts of the country? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/11 "2004-05-01T10:48:32Z")
1. Nowhere to put them. 2. Risk of transferring disease. 3. Risk of disrupting natural genetic distributions. 4. Pressure from environmental groups. 5. Cost The point to note here is that koalas are not even close to being endangered. They are listed as regionally vulnerable. What that means is that in some areas they are not at risk in any way whatsoever and in the other areas they are not at risk so long as things remain as they are now. That makes them a fairly low priority animal in conservation terms. It takes a lot of money to move thousands of large mammals and the returns will be either small or negative. Those areas that can support koalas already support them and there are few potential new habitats for them to enter. They have suffered population decline due to land clearing but there are few areas of new forest in Australia that can support an introduced population. Worse yet those populations that are vulnerable will only be further endangered by the introduction of exotic animals with the stress and disease risk that entails. A bullet only costs around 30 cents. Moving them would cost over $100/animal. That is several hundred thousand dollars that can be much better spent on animals that might really be in trouble like bilbies and northern hairy nosed wombats that really are endangered and really do need funds. ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/12 "2004-05-01T10:51:55Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > If they’re endangered, why don’t they move the excess from Kangaroo Island to other parts of the country? Well that has been tried. Until recently I was living in Adelaide, South Australia. This has been a problem for many years. Moving the koalas is a very costly and time consuming exercise, it seems a much easier solution to cull the animals. Many have already been moved and sterilized but the problem still exists. [This](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/05/0510_020510_TVkoala.html) article is a couple of years old but explains the situation. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/13 "2004-05-01T12:43:31Z")
If anyone is _seriously_ interested they can check [here](http://www.petsorfood.com/exotics.shtml) on the pets or food website. A 15 pound Koala will run you about 1,200 bucks, but I don’t think that includes shipping. From the website: > [@](#): > > **Koala** > Straight from the sub tropics of Australia comes the yummy, cuddly Koala. Pets or Food™ is proud to offer, for a limited time, a package shipment that includes a 15 pound Koala, 10 pounds of eucalyptus, and handling instructions. Australian Aborigines have long known the delicate flavor of this charming animal. Order one today for your special occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/14 "2004-05-01T13:51:33Z")
Well, I’m glad no prissy copy-editor jumped in to ask, “How do koala’s _what_ taste?” _Oops._ ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/15 "2004-05-01T19:29:14Z")
I have read (in an issue of National Geographic, I believe… no idea what issue it was) that the flesh of koalas is virtually inedible: it is extremely oily, and tastes exactly like what you’d expect meat soaked in eucalyptus oil to taste like. Aborigines have eaten it, but more out of necessity than because of any liking for the meat itself. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/16 "2004-05-01T19:35:18Z")
> [@astro](#): > > How do Koalas taste? With their tongues, silly! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/17 "2004-05-01T20:29:27Z")
If you put them in a blender, they taste like Coca Koala. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/18 "2004-05-01T20:59:00Z")
> [@alterego](#): > > If anyone is _seriously_ interested they can check [here](http://www.petsorfood.com/exotics.shtml) on the pets or food website. A 15 pound Koala will run you about 1,200 bucks, but I don’t think that includes shipping. From the website: Someone got whooshed!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/19 "2004-05-02T00:11:17Z")
They taste like…well, I don’t know. That cutesy little loving face would scrunch up and the tears would start to flow and it would give a plaintive cry as I started to sink my teeth into it’s paw…couldn’t do it, alas. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939/20 "2004-05-02T00:49:42Z")
[Dennis Leary] I saw a great show on Discovery Channel last night, _History of the Badger_. [/DL] 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-koalas-taste/242939.md?page=2)