A woman undergoing arrest on Sunday evening shocked police when, before being taken into custody, she admitted she was keeping a baby koala inside her green canvas bag.
The 50-year-old woman told the officers that she had found him on Kessels Road at Nathan, and had been caring for him. There were no charges pressed against her in relation to her keeping the koala joey. She was arrested for “outstanding matters”.
The animal has since been rescued from the precinct by an ambulance from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Officials say the koala is about 6 months old and has no sign of injury and disease apart from a bit of dehydration. Now called Alfred, he was placed on fluids and had been sent out to a carer shortly after the incident.
RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty urges anyone who finds a koala not to attempt handling it and instead call their hotline at 1-300-ANIMAL.
“Often the animal may have no obvious signs of injury but it can have internal injuries that need immediate attention.”
Alfred is expected to be all right despite the stress of this incident.
