Are Koalefants vital for surviving at least early game?

[Derpime]

I'm just curious to why it would matter. Do you get hungrier faster over time, or are you just thinking about making the vests? Plus, I thought the longer you wait the higher the chance is that the other two hostile creatures will spawn from tracks instead. It would make more sense to hunt them down a lot earlier for almost guaranteed Koalefant spawns if that's how it works.

 

I just think about vests.But you got a point,hunt them in the early days and lock them around stone walls.