• Question: I've heard that Eucalyptus leaves contain a chemical that makes koalas drunk... Is this true and why does it happen?

    Asked by koalatea13lemon to Christina, Colin, Jess, Samaneh, Steve on 18 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Christina Pagel

      Christina Pagel answered on 18 Jun 2013:

      No i think it’s an urban myth!

    • Photo: Jess Bean

      Jess Bean answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      Eucalyptus doesn’t make koalas drunk – the leaves would have to contain alcohol for them to have this. It has been known for other animals to get a bit tipsy from things they eat, but this is more commonly fruit that contains a lot of sugar that has been sitting around for a while. The sugar ‘ferments’ and forms alcohol molecules similar to those found in wine.

      As for the koalas, the do sometimes do seem a bit drunk and sleepy – this is because eucalyptus leaves are a really poor quality food source that is really low in energy. To overcome this the koalas adopt a really slow lifestyle so that they don’t waste energy in movement, etc.

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