Adaptations and Threats
Koalas face lots of threats each day, natural or man made. Wildfires can spread very quickly, leading to surrounding trees. If that happens, koalas don’t have much time to react because even though they are as fast as a rabbit, in trees, they are so much faster, swinging from tree to tree. When Europeans settled in Australia, koalas were hunted for food and fur. People thought that koala fur was as warm as hot chocolate. Koala meat was not that filling, but as they started clearing out eucalyptus trees for houses and cities, they were in great need of staying energized. Poachers killed the koalas because the fur was warm and was used for blankets and clothing. Another threat is droughts, droughts can kill trees and take away water sources. Therefore, when the trees are dead, the less hiding place there is for the koalas, less places for raising babies, and the food sources get scarce.
Eucalyptus Trees