The Kute Koala

Koala is an Aussie bear. In the aboriginal language of Northern Queensland, "koala" means "no water" - which refers to the koalas' ability to get all the moisture they need from the eucalyptus leaves; eucalyptus leaves are the starter, the main course and the dessert on koalas' menu.

To digest the eucalyptus leaves takes a long time and lots of energy (not that I would ever tried) and koalas spend up to 18 hours a day sleeping. The toxins present in the leaves also leave the bear feel as if it smoked marijuana.

Koalas are individualists and one male can have as many as six female sexual partners at a time - which leaves the Aussie men rather envious.

If you don't plan to spend half of your holiday searching for koalas in their natural environment then try some of the dozens of wildlife sanctuaries in Queensland (for a few kangaroo dollars you may be allowed to touch or even hold the bears that are used to people). Holding a little Australian bear seems to be the same as holding a baby. Koalas, however, don't care that you're a human and hang onto you in the same way as if you were a gum tree.

This sleeping Casanova was photographed in the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane.