koala

American  

[koh-ah-luh] / koʊˈɑ lə /

noun

1. a sluggish, tailless, gray, furry, arboreal marsupial, Phascolarctos cinereus, of Australia.

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koala British  

/ kəʊˈɑːlə /

noun

1. Also called (Austral): native bear.  a slow-moving Australian arboreal marsupial, Phascolarctus cinereus, having dense greyish fur and feeding on eucalyptus leaves and bark

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Etymology

Origin of koala

1800–10; erroneous spelling for earlier koola ( h ) (now obsolete) < Dharuk gú-la

Explanation

A koala is a small Australian animal that lives primarily in trees and is often mistaken for a bear. Koalas, not bears at all, are actually related to kangaroos. Koalas, like their kangaroo cousins, are marsupials, animals that carry their young in pouches. They do resemble bears, with their round bodies and ears, thick gray fur, stubby tails, and bear-like behavior. The name koala comes from the Australian Aboriginal language Dharug, in which this animal is called a gula. Koalas are famous for eating eucalyptus leaves and being generally adorable.

Example Sentences

Farallon also invested in fossil fuel projects, including an Australian coal mine that denuded thousands of acres of koala habitat and generated an enormous amount of carbon emissions.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Bear, an 11-year-old Australian Koolie, was one of the first dogs in the country to be trained on the scent of koala fur.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Photos from that time show her posing with a kangaroo and a wombat and being embraced by a giant koala.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Molecular biologist Samuel Phillips tells the BBC about one local koala population they studied which was at risk of extinction.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2024

Zoologists think the koala once ate a more varied diet than it does now.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan