Coola
or Kool-la
,
aboriginal name for Native Bear (q.v.); genus, Phascolarctus (q.v.). A variant of an aboriginal wordmeaning a big animal. In parts of South Australia koola meansa kangaroo.
1813. `History of New South Wales' (1818), p. 432:
«The koolah or sloth is likewise an animal of the opossumspecies, with a false belly. This creature is from a foot anda half to two feet in length, and takes refuge in a tree, wherehe discovers his haunt by devouring all the leaves before hequits it.»
1849. J. Gould, `Proceedings of the Zoological Society ofLondon,' November:
«The light-coloured mark on the rump, somewhat resembling thaton the same part of the Koala . . . the fur is remarkable forits extreme density and for its resemblance to that of theKoala.»