A Koala (bear). It is not a bear but a marsupial.   An Australian platypus Page 9 Table of contents Go to page 10 Strange Animals. I met a wild animal that did not care to talk to me. He was very very tired. He slept in the branches of a eucalyptus tree. He was a koala. He eats only the leaves of this tree. This animal is perhaps the most curious animal in the world. It's called the platypus. It is very small, the length is 50 cm. It lives in rivers and streams. In front it has a beak like a bird. It has four legs like a mammal, and legs are adapted for swimming. Behind it a flat tail like a beaver. It is classified as a mammal, but despite that it will lay eggs. Normally mammals give birth to baby animals. The birds laid eggs. I met this animal in Sydney Aquarium. I wanted to meet these creatures because they are exceptional. They did not tell me anything new. They are fed, they do not need to find their food. They lost their freedom, but they are also protected from their enemies.