Watch a Heroic Man Jump Into Water to Save a Drowning Koala!

A single act of kindness can often bridge the gap between species, as seen in the amazing video below in which a man jumps into water to save a koala from drowning.

The video begins after a man spots an exhausted koala struggling to swim in the water. He jumps immediately into the waist-deep water with a large branch. With it, he is able to drag the koala into shallower water. Although the man can now stand, it is still too deep for the exhausted little koala.

Watch the Amazing Video

However, thankfully, now that the man is on his feet, he can lean forward and grab the koala by the scruff of its neck. Someone behind the camera warns him to be careful of scratches, but the koala seems too tired to react as he hangs limply in the man’s grasp. Eventually, the koala is pulled safely to shore, where it is able to recover from its endeavor in the water.

Species Profile: Koala

The koala is a marsupial native to the eastern coast of Australia. It is the only living species in the family Phascolarctidae. The closest living relative to the koala is the wombat, another Australian marsupial. Like the kangaroo, koalas are often used to represent their homeland of Australia. They are important in Australian culture and history, ranging from ancient cave art to modern symbolism.

Koalas can be identified by their round features, fluffy ears, and unique spoon-shaped nose. They have no tail, and their coat colors can range from silver to brown. Adults can grow to be around 24 to 33 inches in length and weigh as much as 33 pounds. They have unique fingerprints similar to those of humans.

These little marsupials are known for living in Eucalyptus woodlands. The leaves of these trees make up the majority of the koala’s diet, although they are low in nutrition and contain toxins. Like sloths, koalas are sedentary animals. In fact, they can sleep up to 20 hours a day! Although they may look friendly, they aren’t social animals. They spend their time alone unless they are rearing offspring, which mothers will bond with while dependent.

There are few predators of the adult koala. However, because of the oil concentration in eucalyptus trees, they are prone to devasting effects during wildfires. As a result, koalas are a vulnerable species, though they officially became endangered in many places throughout Australia in 2022.

How Large Are Adult Koalas?

There are two types of Koalas – the northern, or Queensland, and the southern, or Victoria. Although there is a potential third mentioned, the New South Wales koala, it is still debated. The southern koala is generally larger than the northern koala. Victoria, or southern, koalas range in weight from 15 to 29 pounds. Queensland, or northern, koalas range in weight from 9 to 19 pounds. They have similar heights of 2 to 3 feet. Males of the species are larger than females.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © worldswildlifewonders/Shutterstock.com