Aly = stoned Koala bear?

[AHAS]

Aly appeared on the Ellen Degeneres Show on Friday, January 30th to talk about her pregnancy. In addition to her cravings of meat and cheese (before her pregnancy, Aly was a vegan) and Ginger ale; Aly stated she has "pregnancy brain", which she said "I never realized was a thing but it is."

"I sort of feel like a Koala bear where I'm slightly stoned all the time and I'll say the wrong word," said Aly on the show. She also talked mentioned that she and Alexis know the gender of the baby, but are keeping the news a surprise until the birth.

[hemiola]

Can koala bears even get stoned? I thought that they only consumed eucalyptus leaves?

[Rowan Hawthorn]

They do. Apparently, the Aboriginal Australians believed that the eucalyptus leaves contain alcohol/drug/whoozit that keeps the koalas stoned, and it's become fairly wide-spread. Not true, as far as I know, but that's the myth.

[RickyBee]

They still shouldn't let koalas smoke - always bumming papers off tourists. Better if they just ate the leaves.

[Rowan Hawthorn]

They still shouldn't let koalas smoke - always bumming papers off tourists. Better if they just ate the leaves.

(Carefully slides papers back into pocket and wanders off, whistling nonchalantly...)

[DaddyCatALSO]

I could construct a series of "surmisen" about how she knows what from where but these days why bother?

[Bones]

As an Aussie myself, Can I just say how disgusted I am that Aly would say such a thing about an Australian national treasure such as The Koala Bear......

GOTCHYA !!

I've heard the myth, but never seen anything to back it up ... that said, if anyone gets pictures/video of such a thing, put it up on AHAS !!

Aly has, of course, been to Oz twice, and may know from seeing it first-hand......

Having taken various nieces/nephews/friends to the Sydney Zoo, I can say this about Koalas:-

1) If grouchy, their striking claws can be lethal .

2) Koalas make for great photo opportunities....

3 ) ..... and can pee on command at said photo opportunities...

Nevertheless, I love them.

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[gilmoid]

Well, next time they pee on command, show them your primate ancestry by shrieking and throwing poop!

[johndive]

I'm still of the opinion that koalas spend all their time stoned on the psychotropic drugs in the (less potent) older eucalyptus leaves they eat and that they have scant interest in lashing out at people who are holding them unless they are seriously harassed. In my own experience and from what I've seen, most wild animals tend to get irritable if they are held close by people, and one can almost expect them to object physically if they are held too close for too long. Even domestic animals like dogs, cats, and birds can get a little tense when they are held in an extended loving embrace.

Dogs will put up with anything, cats not so much, but as much as we try not to be anthropomorphic with animals we consider cute, we seem to fail. Paying attention to one's subject is incredibly important. Animals will almost always let you know when your attentions are no longer wanted; yet people still want to hold and groom them. It's the monkey in us.

[hemiola]

I have to laugh....

If koalas could talk, I always imagined they'd speak in a typical Aussie "strine". Now, I have to imagine them talking like some Californian surfer dude saying things like "Dude, don't harsh my mellow".

[JTravis]

Hmmm; I wonder if a pair of stoned Koala bears ever look at a platypus and say to each other, "Man, I gotta really try and start cutting back... Seriously..."

[Rowan Hawthorn]

I wonder if they ever look at a platypus and go, "Wonder what that tastes like??"

(Of course, some smart-alec is sure to say, "Tastes like chicken...")