The Nome daily nugget., 1936-01-22

Prepared by the National Geographic Society
 Washington. D. C.-WNU Service
 r r AN imaginative child could be
 transported from visit to an
 American toy shop to the midst
 of an Australian eucalyptus for est, and there shown for the first time the Australian native bear, or Koala, climbing among the branches and nib- bling the leaves, he would be hard to convince that the teddy bears he had been inspecting had not been brought magically to life; for the koala, with his round roly-poly body, short arms and pointed nose, Is the living proto- type of the jolly toy bear that helps make Christmas morning merry in many an American nursery.
 Koalas are found in eastern and southeastern Australia, but do not oc- eur on any of the nelghborins islands or in the western half of the continent. They were probably once the most common animals in the Australian bush, but about 40 years ago wide spread epidemic overlook them and they died by thousands.
 They also were hunted extensively for the sake of their warm, thick fur and as result are now extinct in New South Wales. A few hundred are still to be found in Victoria, in carefully protected localities, and a fair number remain in Queensland. Little Is known of the nature of the disease that so nearly exterminated them, but study Is being given the subject now. with a view to preserving the remnants of this formerly numerous species.
 The Koala Is one of the most inter esting of Australian animals. He has I thick, grayish-colored fur, promi nent black nose, and stands about two feet high. A good specimen weighs about 30 pounds. He Is one of the most inoffensive animals imaginable. doing no harm or damage to anyone or anything.
 He Lives in Trees.
 Essentially an arboreal and mainly nocturnal animal he spends his time in the branches of certain species of eucalyptus trees where he feeds at night upon the tender young leaves If approached. he will sit and stare at the intruder with surprised expres sion, and only if danger threatens he will climb to the topmost branches. He Is rather inactive, especially in summer, and often sits in the fork of ! tree, sleeping the daylight hours away. The adult males are fond of perching themselves on dead limb at the top of tall tree, from which they appear to enjoy their survey of the surrounding landscape.
 They have five toes on each foot, and each toe is armed with a curved. needle sharp claw. The toes are in groups of twos and threes. the two claws being in the form of a double thumb. They are thus enabled to climb easily and also to grasp the branches of tree and pull them down for the purpose of feeding on the leaves.
 Even Gn iron telegraph post offers no obstacle to their climbing powers, and they have been seen sitting among the
 
 ficult to say what motive took them into such a position. tall flagstaff seems to present an irresistible temp, tatiOn. and even on the windiest of days they climb such posts to perch on the top.
 The leaves of certain kinds of the Australian eucalyptus (glm trees form their staple diet. although occa sionally they feed on the barks of cer tain trees and on sphasnum moss. per haps as tonic or medicine They never drink water in state Of nature but are apparently able to obtain enough moisture from feeding on the juicy gum shoots from which the com mercial eucalyptus oil is extracted.
 Make Delightful Pets.
 Koalas are such quaint and attrac. tive little creatures that they are much in demand as household pets. They