Man comes to the rescue of 'distraught' prickle-covered koala
A Victorian man has become “good mates” with a wild koala which found its way to his front door step in urgent need of some grooming.
Bruce Atkinson noticed the marsupial was covered in prickly burrs, the often itchy plant seeds, so he armed himself with a motorbike glove and a brush and carefully removed them.
He recorded video of the moment the wild koala sat still and let him brush and tickle it like a pet on Saturday morning, at his Apollo Bay property.
"I was just wandering out to have some breakfast early in the morning and I saw a koala on the porch," he told ABC radio's Nicole Chvastek on Tuesday.
"It wandered up, which is not unusual... but this one looked a bit distraught, it was just sitting there all glum.
"I went out to take a photo of it and noticed all these burrs all over it."
He carefully approached the marsupial and let her sniff the hair brush before Mr Atkinson attempted to remove the burrs.
"The whole half an hour it just sat there and lapped it up,” he said.
"I could also just go up to it, sit down beside it, tickle it under its chin and pat it on its head like a cat."
He said he was surprised how the koala sat still and let him brush it, despite initially appearing agitated.
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When the koala first appeared he brought her a bowl of water, but it was swatted out of his hand, Mr Atkinson said.
He was later told the animals got most of their water from eucalyptus leaves, so he found some to feed the koala after it had been brushed.
The visitor enjoyed the snack and hung around Mr Atkinson’s property for the rest of the day.
After the video and some pictures were posted on the Otway Community News Facebook page on Saturday, dozens of people commented on the lovely gesture.
“Well done!” wrote one.
“She looked mesmerised under your care. Glad to see your protective armour, smart move! she has impressive claws, they could do a lot of damage!”
Another commented: "Poor little fella, he must have been so uncomfortable. What a trusting koala, I think you have a friend for life."
