“I want to go to Australia and take the same goofy picture of me holding a koala that everyone else takes.” ~ Jessi Klein
Our little farm here in Byron Bay is a koala sanctuary of sorts. We have plenty of them living here, and we see them daily.
Cute, huh?
As I stumble around, bleary-eyed this morning, I’ll let you in on a secret. Koalas look fluffy and cuddly and sweet. But…
They are also the loudest animals on our farm. And breeding season is the worst. Especially when the grove of eucalypts opposite our bedroom window is the favoured place for koala wooing.
A male koala makes a sound like angry electric bellows. Bark, gurgle, rattle, bark, gurgle, rattle. All night. At high decibels.
If there are other males around they fight. Noisily. With lots of extra grunty calling to prove dominance.
Then the girls show up!
Female koalas scream. Especially while mating. Ear-piercing screams that make you think some poor woman is being murdered outside your bedroom window.
They don’t mind fighting either. Especially when they are not interested in the male.
This was the sound that filled our bedroom last night.
All night.
Yay…
So forgive me if I’m a little tired this morning. Still, it’s reassuring to know that koala population levels are flourishing here at our little piece of paradise.
