Joe Louis cuddles a koala bear

 

Before I met one in real life, I held certain stereotypical judgments about koala bears. I thought they were extremely, overwhelmingly cute and adorable. I thought they were super cuddly and wanting nothing more than to hug anyone in their vicinity. I viewed them as kind, innocuous creatures of the outback. They stood for Australia and symbolized the foreign yet interestingly quirky faraway land.

After meeting koala bears face to face several times while down under, the main characteristic I attribute to them now is lazy. These slothlike animals sleep 18-20 hours a day and spend the rest of the day snacking away on eucalyptus leaves. Eat, sleep, repeat. OK, so maybe I’m a little jealous, but still for a creature so beloved, it should actually DO something, right?

I still think of koala bears as cute – furry and fuzzy with a babyish gaze, but more absentmindedly appealing than intentional. As if their innocent look is one of genuine confusion and ennui rather than the curious wonder of a young child. I still think of them as cuddly since most pictures are in a holding/hugging pose, but their sharp claws clearly tell me they are not naturally inclined to warm embraces. But maybe therein lies their true strength. They may be solely and possibly vainly focused on their beauty rest and vegan diets, but man are they photogenic. It’s a wonder why they are the symbol of Australia and not Hollywood.