"Koala" is the correct name for this animal. The koala is not a bear; nor is it related to the bear in any way.The name is believed to come from the Aboriginal word "gula", which means "no drink." Koalas get their water from the leaves they eat, so they don't require fluid sustenance (although they will drink water in a drought or in extreme heat).There are a number of different names for the koala in various aboriginal dialects. Some of the other names are cola/colah, koolah, boorabee, kaola, burrenbong and koolewong.The first written name for the koala was "koolah", given in an article in the "Sydney Gazette", around 1803.