196 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



in disposition, and its broad face wears a droll expression of 

 mingled astonishment and solemnity. These characteristics have 

 led to the Koala being used as a model by Australian caricaturists ; 

 it figures frequently in the illustrated papers, and is pictured on the 

 covers of magazines. A universal favourite with the nature lovers 

 of Australia, the Native Bear is yet ruthlessly hunted for the sake 

 of its pelt. Tens of thousands of skins are annually exported to 

 London ; and as a result of this persecution the Koala is becoming 

 scarce. Some effort, fortunately, is now being made to afford the 

 inoffensive animal protection ; but it is difficult to prevent those 

 wretched beings known as sportsmen from shooting the Koala. It 

 is cold-blooded murder to shoot a Native Bear, and cruel in the 

 extreme, for the Bear is entirely unsuspecting, and its enemies can 

 encompass its destruction without difficulty. Dwelling in the tree- 

 tops, it is sleepy during the daytime, clinging to a branch with its 

 arms and claws, or resting in some hollow stem. Its disposition 

 is so sluggish that even when alarmed it does not move very briskly. 

 When wounded it will often remain clinging to a limb, and allow 

 its body to be riddled with bullets without attempting to escape. 

 It is most tenacious of life, and some wretches take advantage of 

 this fact to have what they call sport ! A shooting party will some- 

 times make an unfortunate Bear their target, and fire bullet after 

 bullet into the suffering creature. The Koala clings so tightly to 

 a branch sometimes when shot that after death the claws retain 

 their hold of the bark, and the animal remains hanging there 

 perhaps for days, or even weeks. 



The form of the Koala is short and clumsy, and it does not 

 possess a tail. The nose is short and broad, and of a black colour. 

 The general colour of the fur is grey, under-parts white, or white 

 tinged with yellow. The length of the head and body in a full- 

 grown specimen is about thirty-two inches. As regards distribu- 

 tion, it is confined to Eastern Australia. The food of the Koala 

 consists chiefly of the tender shoots of the gum-trees ; it pastures on 

 young leafage, using its fore-paws in the quaintest manner to bring 

 the food to its mouth. 



The Native Bear makes a charming pet, but it is rather difficult 

 to keep alive. A friend of the writer's owned a young Koala 

 to which both he and his wife were much attached. It had 

 been captured when an infant, and reared with infinite pains. It 

 would follow the lady of the house about, and loved to be nursed 



