Thirsty koala stops cyclists for water in heatwave
Adesperate koala suffering in 40C-heat in South Australia approached a group of cyclists to drink from a water bottle, according to media reports.
The cyclists near Adelaide saw the koala in the middle of the road and when they stopped, the koala approached them, appearing to ask for water, Anna Heusler told 7news.com.au.
“Naturally, we stopped because we were going to help relocate him off the road,” she said.
“I stopped on my bike and he walked right up to me, quite quickly for a koala, and as I was giving him a drink from all our water bottles, he actually climbed up onto my bike.”
Heusler posted video of the incident on her Instagram page @bikebug2019 which has been viewed 52,000 times.
The bushfires that have ravaged South Australia and the east coast of the continent for the past three months have resulted in the loss of at least 2,000 koalas, a parliamentary inquiry heard earlier in December.
The animals died either in bushfires or from starvation and dehydration afterwards, North East Forest Alliance president and ecologist Dailan Pugh told the inquiry.
Total Environment Centre director Jeff Angel warned that the survival of koalas was at emergency level with the losses from the bushfires, loss of habitat and the burning forests. “We urge the government to do more, and quickly,” Angel told News.
Australian Environment Minister Sussan Ley has said up to 30% of koalas in the fire hit regions in New South Wales had perished. (DPA)