If I Could Be Any Animal...

Have you ever been asked, “If you could be any animal, what would you be?” The question was brought to me and I started to really think about my answer. Part of me would want to be something like a lion at the top of the food chain. Then I heard they were being hunted into near extinction which turned me sour on the whole idea. On top of that, they eat a diet of raw meat that they have to chase down and kill. That didn’t sound too appetizing either. Then I thought of an eagle. They soar majestically across the sky and nest at the highest perches where few can be a bother. They also have amazing sight and can see prey from great heights. I have seen them on television where they glide effortlessly over a lake and then suddenly extend their claws and pull a ten pound trout out of the water. Now that’s pretty cool if I do say so myself. Just think of floating on updrafts and diving like a lightning bolt down to ground level in a moment. That all sounded pretty great. Then I thought how hard it would be to carry that trout back to your nest. The fish is flopping all over the place and the eagle is thinking, “Hey my talons have gone clean through your body. Even if you shook loose your life is over. So just give it a rest. My nest is at the top of this mountain and you’re getting heavy.” Picking through fish guts also is a big thumbs down for me. Then I started reading about Koala Bears. Right off the bat, they live in the jungles of Australia. That sounds pretty good right there. They sleep for 18-20 hours of the day and spend the rest of their time eating eucalyptus and mistletoe leaves and bark. Bark has to have a lot of fiber, I figure. And who reading this can honestly say they couldn’t use some more sleep. What do these animals have to complain about? When they get together does one say, “Dude, I only had 14 hours of sleep last night and I’m really dragging. Toss some eucalyptus leaves over here. I’ll be right as rain!” Now that’s the life I want! Sure one of the leading causes of death is dog attacks and humans are encroaching on their habitat. Then there was the early Twentieth Century where they were nearly hunted to extinction for their fur. But overall, can you think of a much more carefree life? So that settles it. If I could be any animal in the world, I would be a Koala Bear.