Yahoo News Watch: Cheeky koala hops into man's car - so he can cool off by air conditioning
This is the hilarious moment a cheeky koala decided to cool off in a man’s car – by hopping towards the air conditioning.
Tim Whitrow was touring a vineyard 40km south of Adelaide when he turned back to his vehicle before spotting the marsupial chilling out on the back seat.
The Australian had left the doors of his car open with the air con running, when the sneaky koala took full advantage of the cool conditions.
Mr Whitrow said: ‘It took a fair bit of convincing to get the feisty little fellow out’ adding he offered the koala some water before encouraging it to get out of his car.
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As seen in the footage, the cheeky chap then shot up a gum tree – but not before leaving several gouge marks on the front seat and dashboard.
Although cute and friendly to the eye, koalas – a native species to Australia – have a reputation for being dangerous due to their razor-sharp claws and teeth, which are used for defending against attacks from larger animals.
According to the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, Australia’s koala population are also riddled with a strain of chlamydia, which can reportedly be transmitted to humans.
And any would-be petter should also be extra wary; in terms of temperament, it added, the koala is ‘more vicious than a crocodile’.
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment and Water reminded residents to be careful when engaging with wild animals.
‘In this type of situation, we recommend that the car doors be opened and that a rolled-up newspaper or umbrella or similar item be used to gently push the koala towards an open door.’
