Photo of koala in Aussie backyard highlights sad reality

While a photo of a koala fresh from a swim in an Aussie backyard might seem endearing to most, there's a sad truth behind the reason why it might be there to start with.

A stunned homeowner discovered the native animal hugging their pool fence at their property in an undisclosed location this week, moments after taking a dip in their backyard pool.

"[It] just chilled on the fence for a few hours before moving on to a tree down the road," they said adding it appeared to have a nap after cooling off in the water.

Shocked by the unexpected visit, the homeowner shared a couple of snaps on social media saying "[we] had a local over for a swim" alongside a picture of the marsupial which was balancing on the railing surrounding the pool.

But seeing wildlife out of their natural habitat is concerning, Megan Fabian from the Australian Wildlife Service told Yahoo News Australia — particularly if this koala was in search of some water to drink.

"Koalas are [being] displaced and negatively affected by habitat loss, urbanisation, and climate change, due to reduced available habitat," she said. This means there are now more and more koala sightings in public places and they're also getting hit by cars more often.

Eucalyptus trees no longer offer enough hydration

The majority of the water koalas need to survive is in the gum leaves and trees they feed on, but they also drink by licking water running down smooth tree trunks during rain, a paper released by The University of Sydney revealed. Fabian refers to this as the animal's "tree-hugging behaviour".

"The main purpose of [this] is to regulate their body temperature and cool down as the tree draws water up from the ground and through its trunks," she said.

Climate change is causing "the composition/chemicals of eucalyptus leaves to change due to changes in temperature", meaning the eucalyptus leaves they feed on no longer do the trick.

Koala habitat dwindling

Dr Valentina Mella, from the university's School of Life and Environmental Sciences, said koalas are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, suffering heat stress. The trees they rely on are also affected by temperature and rainfall change, so they can't get enough water from the trees.

Koalas can't just eat more leaves to compensate for the reduced water content because they are limited in their food intake by leaf toxins.

"This means koalas will need alternative strategies to find water," Dr Mella said. Alternatives include making its way to the closest water source — such as this pool.

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Koalas can 'easily drown' in water

At first, the resident said they thought the koala might have fallen in the water, not realising they could swim, but Fabian confirmed "koalas can swim out of necessity," for example if they fall from their branch into a river or swimming pool.

"I am unsure if this individual koala was displaced, coming down for a drink, trying to cool off, or accidentally fell in the pool," she said. But they "can exhaust easily and drown if they do not have an escape route," she added.

Pam Head from Koala Rescue said it is "upsetting to see a koala in this situation".

"The concern around a koala in this situation is whether it has taken on water in its lungs, and it should always be vet assessed and treated accordingly," she told Yahoo.

Shocked by the unexpected visit, the homeowner said they called Koala Rescue who advised them "to monitor and let them know ASAP if it appeared distressed". Thankfully, it moved on to the closest tree after a few hours of rest.

What to do if a koala is spotted out of place

If anyone spots a koala out of place, "the first thing members of the community should do is assess the situation to ensure the koala is safe and out of harm's way," Fabian said.

"If the koala is struggling to get out of a pool, they might like to find a plank of wood or similar in which the koala has an exit point, temporarily place their pets inside, and monitor the situation," she added. "The koala might simply be passing through (depending on where you are located)."

If it appears to be injured, the best thing to do is to call a local wildlife rescue group for assistance.

Homeowner's gut-wrenching backyard discovery

Last month, Adelaide Koala Rescue was called to a property in Magill, in the city’s east after the homeowner discovered a koala had drowned in their pool. It became entrapped in the pool cover, Jane Brister, the director of Adelaide Koala Rescue told Yahoo.

“When it happens — because we do get calls now and again — the callers are very distressed and feel very guilty and very sad,” Brister said, describing pool covers as “incredibly dangerous”. The koala likely made its way to the water for a drink.

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