Where I come from... well - I drove to the shops today and I had to slow down so as not to hit any wallabies or kangaroos sitting on the side of the road (they can suddenly change direction and decide to hop right in front of your car). My sweetie saw an echidna last time he took the dogs for a walk and my sister saw a platypus in the creek out the back of her place. Driving to work a few months ago, my daughter and I saw a couple of koalas on the road. The driver in front of me was trying to get them to safety (i.e. off the road). They were not impressed with her telling them what to do!
We are very lucky though - you don't see wildlife like this in most towns or cities in Australia. You don't get kangaroos hopping down the main street in Sydney or Melbourne. We're just in a really good place for it (it's pretty rare - the idea that this is the norm here is a misconception).
You know what? Koalas are really not that cute and cuddly. They smell, they make awful noises, they can be aggressive, and they have claws. A lot of them also have syphilis!
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