The following observation was made by early European settlers encountering the Koala:
He keeps his little round eyes fixed on yours, blinking solemnly; and all you can do is wriggle with delight at your discovery that in this disillusioned grown-up world you have met the most lovable toy of your childhood come to life. Here is [...]

According to Stephen Jackson, in Koala origins of an icon, the European settlers did not discover the koala for ten years after arriving on the Australian continent! For ten whole years they somehow missed the slow-moving, unobtrusive animals. Was this luck on the part of the animal or are they more intelligent than we give [...]