sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with grey furry ears and coat; feeds on eucalyptus leaves and bark
"The sleepy koala climbed slowly up the gum tree to nibble on a fresh leaf."
A tree-dwelling marsupial, Phascolarctos cinereus, that resembles a small bear with a broad head, large ears and sharp claws, mainly found in eastern Australia.
"After spotting the koala clinging to an eucalyptus branch high above the trail, I realized we were truly in the heart of eastern Australian wildlife country."
The word koala comes from the Dharug language, where it originally meant "no drink." It was derived from the terms gula or gulawany.