I did not
know about this, but this is real. Some film and other information below. I
also doubt the bear link – I suggest lions – stay with me. Although
this is dealing with instincts, so the current behaviour may well go back in
time long before cows existed as cows. I think a koala would look more like a
wolverine (to a cow) than a bear.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/.../koalas-are-being-trampled-by-livestock.aspx
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-17/livestock-attacks-koalas-more-common-wildlife-experts-say/8625762
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/abigcountry/new...koalas/10763290
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au ›
National › Queensland
After a
little bit of thought, it is easy to make suggestions. Firstly cattle can not
have an insane hatred of Koalas. Cattle cannot have any idea what a koala is. However
anyone who has watched more than a small amount of TV docos of wildlife in
Africa will know that buffalo (related to ancestral stock of cattle), routinely
kill lion cubs whenever they find them isolated from the protection of the lion
pride. They actively hunt them out. Looking at the film of cattle attacking a
koala, the behaviour of the cattle is virtually the same as the buffalo, maybe
not as vigorous! For buffalo to attack adult lions is sometimes successful but
also an extremely risky thing to do. But killing babies is a good strategy for
buffalo. Also there is the complication that the calling of koalas is not much different
from the roaring of lions. Cattle surely can hear and respond to that with
preservation-induced concern about potentially their number one enemy nearby,
then when they find what they think is a baby lion…….
As for
wombats. If there is a difference it is hard to know. Wombats mostly wander
around at night when most cows are not active, and are I suspect they are much
faster at running than are koalas. Wombats are also tougher and don’t
sound like a lion. Koalas wander around in the daytime although quite likely
also at night, I don’t know about that.
Philip
1.
From:
Birding-Aus [ On Behalf Of Anthea
Fleming
Sent: Tuesday, 2 April, 2019 8:40 PM
To:
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Why do cattle hate koalas?
Not a bird story but intriguing
I support Wildlife Victoria. Their latest communique tells the tale of an unfortunate baby Koala, rescued after her
mother was killed on the ground by a herd of cows.
Apparently this is not at all unknown, and in fact cattle are said to have an
insane hatred of Koalas. However they do not object to Wombats.
I am wondering why this happens. The best I can suggest is that possibly
cattle have an inherited recognition of the major predator of Europe and Asia -
bears.
Koalas are remarkably like an under-sized bear and when I was a child they were
usually called Native Bears in the bush. Saying Koala was a bit fancy. A
book word.
The only other animal I know of with an instinctive bear reaction is the Honey
Bee - which is why you had better not wear a brown shaggy jumper if you have to
deal with them. Bears are serious hive-predators.
I have heard of a group of Scots Red Deer (hinds with calves) surrounding a Fox
and trampling it to death. It was a threat to their young, and en masse
they could deal with it. I don't know if they would go for a dog in the
same way.
Anthea Fleming
Ivanhoe
