Australian Police Find Baby Koala Stuffed In A Backpack

AUSTRALIA -- An adorable koala in a backpack — it's what you didn't know you needed during the final stretch of the exhausting U.S. presidential race.

Police found this bundle of joy in the town of Wishart in Queensland, Australia, during a traffic stop Sunday night.

Authorities said in a statement that the officers asked the 50-year-old driver if she had anything to declare. She then mentioned that she had a baby koala in her bag.

"Not quite believing their ears the officers cautiously un-zipped the bag and found this gorgeous boy," the police said.

They added that the woman, who was subsequently arrested "on outstanding matters," said she found the little guy the night before and was taking care of him herself.

 

The police have since turned the koala over to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — but not before he tried to give typing a shot at the police station.

The young koala is thought to be about 6 months old and appears to be healthy, though he was dehydrated.

"He's been on fluids but is doing well and will shortly be going out to a carer," Queensland RSPCA spokesperson Michael Beatty said in a statement. "He weighs 1.5 kg [about 3.3 pounds.] and we've called him Alfred."

A koala also happens to be the mascot of the Queensland Police Service. Fun fact: Like baby kangaroos, baby koalas are also called "joeys."

The police are urging people who find koalas to turn them over to authorities, rather than try to take care of them themselves. "Often the animal may have no obvious signs of injury but it can have internal injuries that need immediate attention," they say.

Koalas are protected in parts of Australia, including in Queensland, where they have been designated as "vulnerable" under the Nature Conservation Act.

(APR - Nov 7, 2016)

Australia: 'Such a waste': RSPCA urges dog owners to prevent attacks on koalas after fatal mauling

AUSTRALIA -- A dog has fatally mauled a three-year-old koala north of Brisbane, with the RSPCA stressing the need for pet owners to help protect local wildlife.

The male koala was savaged by a dog in Petrie, and had to be euthanised due to its injuries, the RSPCA Queensland said.

"The attack happened at 2.30am but the dog's owners didn't call the RSPCA until 7.30am," the animal welfare organisation said in a statement.

RSPCA Queensland senior wildlife veterinarian Rebecca Millers said the death was particularly sad "because it was easily preventable".

"We're urging everyone to keep their dogs inside at night time, particularly if they're in koala inhabited areas," she said.

"We're also urging anyone who witnesses an attack to call 1300 ANIMAL immediately.

"This koala lay in pain for over five hours. If we'd got there sooner there is a chance he could have survived."

The RSPCA Queensland's Wildlife Hospital has taken in more than 170 koalas this year, with 25 percent of them being the victims of dog attacks.

Dr Millers said the death of the male koala was a "senseless waste".

"This young male was about three years old and as such would have been coming into his first breeding season," she said.

"He was fit and healthy and sadly that's not common in our rapidly dwindling koala population. This is such a waste."

Queensland readers can report animal emergencies to the RSPCA by phoning 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625).

(9NEWS - June 28, 2016)

Unconscious koala rescued from Australian bushfire by firefighters

AUSTRALIA -- A koala has been rescued from "out of control" bushfires in Australia after being found unconscious by firefighters.

Fires swept across Victoria state on Christmas Day, destroying 116 homes and forcing residents of the worst affected areas to spend the night in shelters, according to ABC.

While battling the flames, fire authorities found an unconscious koala by the side of the road near the Wye River, Reuters reported.

They brought the marsupial, of which only about 80,000 are believed to be left in the wild, to the fire station and then handed her over to Victoria police.

She was fed gum leaves and water - the low nutrition, high fibre diet which explains why koalas spend so much time in trees sleeping and digesting - and she appeared to revive.

Now named "Constable K Bear" by police, the koala is in good health according to authorities.

Amy Hidge, of Wildlife Victoria, told The Guardian that it was not known how many animals had died in the fire.

"Often, you can't see if the pads on their feet have been burnt or if they have smoke inhalation, so we're saying that if they look a bit off, they're probably bushfire affected," she said.

Koalas used to be widespread in Australia, but were shot for sport and hunted for fur from the beginning of the last century.

They have also been culled by the Australian government because they were "dying anyway."

Eighty per cent of koala habitat has since disappeared, which leads to about 4,000 exposed koalas being killed by dogs and cars each year, according to the Australian Koala Foundation.

The fire along the Great Ocean Road, a national heritage stretch of road along the south-eastern coast, began on Christmas Day with police beginning to evacuate houses in some areas around midday.

 

Flames tore mainly through houses in the foothills while sparing the main strip of Wye River, the worst affected town.

Shelley Hyndman, from Surf Coast Wildlife Shelters Group, told Reuters that saving animals was difficult at present “because it’s still out of control, so we’re on standby.”

(Independent UK - Dec 27, 2015)

Koala Goes Shopping on Main Street in Australia

AUSTRALIA -- Portland, Victoria’s Main Street is the perfect place to scamper down from a tree and do some leisurely window shopping, or at least a certain koala thought so.

Seen taking a stroll among the locals, the koala could not have been less fazed by the people milling around as he made his way through the crowded street like a total boss.

 

This guy is so relaxed, he even stopped for a photo-op when a child approached him with a camera to snap his picture, acting as if it’s something that happens all the time in his koala day.

Honestly, maybe it is, considering that this particular area of Australia is known for having a large population of koalas living amongst the trees in the city’s outskirts. Sightings are far from uncommon, but along the main strip they’re admittedly more rare.

 

The curious marsupial was able to get through the admiring throngs without anyone reaching out to touch him or feed him, which is great. Though ridiculously cute , koalas are wild animals and should not be interacted with for the sake of both their safety and yours.

In this instance, Captain Adorable was doing just fine and eventually made it back to the safety of a tree, but if you see an animal that appears to be in distress, always contact the proper authorities to give the animal professional assistance.

(One Green Planet - March 5, 2015)

VIDEO CLIP OF KOALA



Kai The Baby Koala Gets Her Hands Bandaged After Rescue From Power Line

AUSTRALIA -- Stop the presses, guys. We found the littlest baby koala with the tiniest and cutest bandages.

Little Kai was up in a tree in Australia's Hunter Valley when her mom lost the ability to use her right foot. They were both stuck, scared and very close to power lines.

But luckily help wasn't far away. According to a Facebook album of the rescue, a local koala preservation society called in about the trapped koalas, and Ausgrid, the Australian power company, sent in an overhead line crew get Kai and her mom down safely.

Both koalas made it to a veterinarian where they got the medical care they needed -- and cute bandages to boot.

 Kai's mother hadn't been able to move because of a large wound on her right leg that turned out to be a tumor. Kai wasn't hurt during the rescue, but her hands were bandaged after getting blood tests done at the vet.

(Huffington Post - Sept 26, 2013)