Hot damn.
It is HOT.
Hot enough to sneak into this cinderblock haven and look for relief! [Koala makes 'ehn!' sounds]
WAIT A MIN! [sploosh sploosh] WHAT’S THEES!?
[Test Slurpitty test slurpitty]
Yes.
Yes, this will do.
[Sizzling Koala sounds]
According to Sender-Inner Kathy M., "A guy at work’s wife sent him these photos of a little Koala who just walked into the back porch looking for a bit of heat relief. She filled up a bucket and this is what happened!"
OMG PONIES!
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Oh, the little tongue! Squeee!
No tongue-hance on pic #3?! [runs off to place water bucket on windowsill of Bronx apt.]
Can we get a closeup on that leetle tongue?!?!
OMG! Why don’t I ever live anywhere that Koalas wander up to my back deck?…Pandas would be nice, too…
oh my GOD.
The hands holdin’ onto the bucket while sittin’ in the WATER????
So does this mean that if I fill up a bucket and put it on my porch, I too will have a koala guest? Oh, if it were only so…
Great pictures!
Can I get an “I Shall Leeck You?”
He needs a little Koala Popsicle, eucalyptus flavor, please…
Oh man. The tongue! The wet koala beard!
I want to live in this mythical land where koalas roam free! I will gladly trade my beloved Pittsburgh’s carnivorous hawk and a few rabid Steelers fans for it.
I don’t know…when word gets out back in the forest, they could have many visitors.
Oooh – that means more pictures!
OMG
This is roughly one of the cutest thing’s I’ve ever seen. Pic number 4 is just obscenely cute. The descriptions are hilarious, too.
Too sweeeeet ! Koalas are my favorite animule after kittehs.
They’re having a heat wave down under, glad to know the koalas are coping well ! Ingenious leetle bugger.
Yes, and I second-3rd-4th the call for a tongue-hance.
ah! the ear floof!
eeeeeennn! lookit’the hanzzzzz! such amazing cuteness just wandering around. Is it true their fur feels like a brillo pad? How could that be?
Quick! Get him a Mai Tai!
SPLODE !!!
OMG seriously this one has to be my favorite. Especially if this is a WILD koala just at someone’s backyard. Makes me want to move to Australia! Look at that sweet little happy face!
Before I even read all of the text my first reaction at the first pic was: Is that koala tounge? ZOMG PONIES !!1!1
I’d put a bucket out on my 4th floor NYC apt fire escape but I’m not sure I’d like what would crawl in there… :/
Lies! This is too awesome. No way this actually happened. I don’t believe it.
I have to agree with Jorden about the hands holding on to the sides.
DED.
COXCU of koala tongue!!!! I must have eet.
Did anyone notice the water turned a little brown after the koala sits in it (and I don’t think it’s because it’s reflecting the koala’s fur)? *shifty eyes*
Oh, now you’ve done it, CO. This little guy is so cute he makes my heart hurt. Even if I don’t DIE from a heart attack, you have ruined me forever. I’m unable to do anything but stare at heemz and wish for a porch-koala of my own. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer when and if I manage to navigate away from this page and find one
Hmm…excellent. Cool and clean. Now…where are the leaves I need? Get me them nice person?
@chanpon, I bleeve he’s just a bit… dusty. Yes, dusty.
ahh…brown wateres. Koala needed a bath as well. he’s presh.
I totally want to give him a eucalyptus pasickie!!
too adorabulls!!! awesome.
I see I am not the first who saw these pix and immediately wanted to check for a koala on my porch….well, I found a raccoon there once, and he was chowing down on some garbage that hadn’t *quite* made it to the can…. wasn’t nearly as cute!
Somebody pass the little guy a loofah!
Must have koala tongue C.O.X.C.U. STAT!
Man, that koala needs some major bathing. Check out the color of the water after he dipped in. Must be nice being a cool pool in such hot weather…
Maybe he’s not dirty. Maybe… Koalas aren’t colourfast?!
(Actually, that makes kinda sense, coz I don’t think they’re any kind of fast, are they?)
That is one hot dirty koala! With thumbs no less!
GASP
Easily one of my all time favourites too.
The only thing keeping me going through my mid-week doldrums is the picture I’ve come up with in my mind: I’m imagining the bowl of water I would like to set out for a koala, only the water freezes, so the koala puts on his little ice skates and proceeds to do a couple triple toe loops. Yeah, it could happen.
Here’s the back story:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25007478-2,00.html
oh my god!
*runs home to place 12 bowls of water on back porch and surrounding area hoping to attract koala-babeh*
love his right hand in the last shot, hes all like “this is SO excellent!”
He needs a little rubber duckie, and will someone please turn on the jacuzzi jets?!
wait a minut! are you supposed to get em wet ????
Hmph. If I put a bucket of water on my porch, I’d probably just get a squirrel. Or a skunk. Or a filthy Canadian goose.
Get him a glass of champagne and a “bachelorette”!!!
After reading Lesley’s link, should it maybe go under ResQte as well?
AuntieMame: If I put a bucket of water on my porch, all I’d get is a block of ice. I’ll trade you for whatever you get.
He’s adorable and everything, but the very first thing that popped into my mind was that he looked like a tiny wet ewok.
If I left a bucket of water on the porch in the last neighbourhood I lived in I’d probably find a hobo taking a bath. Not a pretty thought.
But I love this hot koala! *discreetly hands him a bar of soap and a washcloth*
Oh wow! And check out more koalas – and TONGUES – in the photo gallery that accompanies the news.co.au site.
I don’t know how to insert the link, but it’s easy to find once you’re on the link posted just above this.
Hey, you peoples really know how to throw a party. How ’bout a little drinky poo?
Mar-soup-ial.
I did not know that Aussie’s have a french accent. Or maybe it’s just the koalas, eh?
Seriously people, the little man sitting in the “cold tub” with his paws on the sides just killed me!!
This post is actually automatic writing from my spirit. I actually said “oh my lord” out loud before I died…
I wonder what a wet koala smells like. I’m hoping eucalyptus. (The koala tea of Mercy is not strained)
More thirsty koalas :
http://www.news.com.au/gallery/0,23607,5037290-5014156,00.html
Okay, for me, personally, this has to be the best post ever. I do not think this little story can ever be topped.OMG Ponies indeed.
That’s the end, I’ve got nothing else.
Also, I’m with everyone who would like to put out a little tub with water and wait for one of these cuties to walk in.
Somehow, this being Ireland, it seems unlikely, though. Sigh.
No words.. Just.. WOW.
Yes, Annie, and tongues.
pic one “Aw”
pic two *sigh* “Aw”
Pic three and four *gasp* “AWWWWW!!!!!”
gosh these are adorable!
And heah he is agin, owr little koala beah frind? A coldy ind a vigimite sarnie, and he’s beaut?
All I ever get on my back porch is my neighbor’s dog, looking for somewhere to poop…
A leetle teeny koala would be a much nicer treat, but I don’t think I will find one in snowy cold Ohio. **sigh**
At first I was concerned, since koalas get all their water from their food, but when I realized it was because of a heat wave, then it made sense.
Poor little buggers, it’s great that some kind folks are willing to give them some help.
Hmmmm…. maybe if I stick a tub of water on our back porch…. hmmm…. only it’s freezing around here, so no.
WANT! 10 please!
dont peeps in australia have BIG bowls?
we should send them some.
Elsie! [snicker] …”marsoupial”
Well thats it then. Dont look at the camera like that! All pissy cuz ur gettin ur picture took! U crawled onto somebodys porch, u climbed into somebodys bucket. Ur gonna git ur picture took! LOL
I heard that this lil baby koala was found distressed b/c its momma abandoned it b/c of the extreme heat. So they brought it back home and gave it some water. It’s being taken care of now and will be released back in to the wild.
Anywho.. awesome photos. My DH is going to love them. Koalas are his fav
Scooter — what bowl? That’s your Perth Jigger, right there.
Further proof that moving to Australia is an awesome idea.
KOALA TONGUE!
No Mitch Hedburg reference yet???
(or did I miss it…)
Okay, here goes!
“My apartment is infested with koala bears. It’s the cutest infestation ever. Way better than cockroaches. When I turn on the light, a bunch of koala bears scatter, but I don’t want them too. I’m like, “Hey… Hold on fellas… Let me hold one of you, and feed you a leaf.” Koala bears…they’re so f**king cute, why do they have to be so far away from me? We need to ship a few over, so I can hold one,yeah… and pat it on its head.”
HedbErg, rather. *oops*
Hmm, that is kind of sad too. Terribly hot weather, not much water around, thick coat of fur. Makes me wanna go the with buckets of water to help.
Thanks ever so for the backstory…Everyone, please implore whatever higher power you revere to send some quenching rain to our Aussie friends. Furry or two-legged they have suffered long enough with this horrible drought. *Going to get my Aussie-specific raindance gear*
…clearly, I need to move to Australia.
This is SO adorable, OMGPONIES!!1! indeed. But being the language nerd that I am, I especially liked the mistakes/typos which made for very odd grammar in the story:
“at first it wasn’t very unresponsive”
“That koala is not also in the care of wildlife officers”
I saw one of these photos on some news website this morning and immediately thought “Cute Overload”. And voila, here they are! I nearly died of the koala cute. Particularly the koala hands gripping the bucket.
Elsie and Charliewabba: lol.
Koala Tea-with the cutest little tea bag I have ever sen!
Elsie wins teh internet!
berg — i thought the same thing! dangling modifier much? where, oh where, is katrina?
This is homicidally cute.
And to think that the word “koala” is an Aboriginal word that means “no drink”!
For more on koalas and the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, see:
http://www.koalahospital.org.au
or my blog:
http://www.koalawrangler.com
Mar-soupial and koala-tea… the post is the cutest, the comments even cuterer! Thanks for the puns! Made my Hump Day. (BunDay, PunDay. Done by, gum by!)
Now I feel just AWFUL that I forgot to top up my cat’s outdoor water dish before I went to work!
Oh well. We live in New Zealand, which is in no way as hot as Australia. I’ll give her a big drink when I get home!
I, too, love the picture where he is holding the sides of the tub and sitting up like people.
I have decided that I’m going to move to Australia, put a ginormous pool in my back yard and wait to catch a bunch of koala’s and then snorrgle them.
Definitely up there in the top ten CO posts. So glad they were able to capture it all on camera.
This is the best photo in all the world!! I had a bad day at work and this has cheered me 100%.!!!!!
Perth Jigger! -Giggle-Snort-guffaw-
This is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! My entire day/world is better now!
This is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! My entire day/world is better now!
This is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! My entire day/world is better now!
This is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! My entire day/world is better now!
This is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! My entire day/world is better now!
This is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! My entire day/world is better now!
On the radio this morning a cyclist called in to say that he had encountered a small koala by the roadside yesterday while riding through some bushland near Adelaide [Australia], which has been in the grip of a fierce heatwave.
The little bloke went up to the cyclist, who had the wit to offer his bottle of water, whereupon the koala drank the lot.
The cyclist noted damp spots on the side of the road, and concluded that this little koala had probably been importuning other passersby for drinks before.
You know it’s really hot and dry when the marsupials start hitting up humans for drinks. What next, a Koala bar? Wonder what the dress code would be? Would they have their own cocktails?
WANTONE
WANTONE
WANTONE
WANTONERIGHTTHISMINUTE
Perth Jigger? More like an Adelaide Floater.
LURVE.
where? where? Where in Australia can one live where wild Koalas just wander on to your porch?
So, I guess it’s really hot in Australia at the moment?
“Hot enough to boil a koala’s bum, Bruce!”
I WANT ONE TOO. Thanks Koalawrangler, I’m going to adopt one!
Please excuse previous post. I read the back story. Hope he’s okay.
That ain’t no koala, that’s a dropbear. look at him in the last pic, pure evil. Adorable evil, given, but evil none the less.
Poor little Koalas – they’re so thirsty! It is crazy hot there!
Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii …!!!
Elsie -
MAR-SOUP-IAL
is simply brilliant!
(I bow in your general direction…)
Koala’s don’t drink water normally so this is kind of extreme behaviour. Poor little guy. It has been a really long drought.
BTW, she (or he) has two thumbs on each paw so besides being the most cute, also has awesome climbing skills.
Another excellent site: http://www.savethekoala.com
Do the koalas live near that college where they have the bunnies? Because THAT would be freaking HEAVEN…..
@charliewabba: BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!
@Pam: LOL!!!!!!!!
Dropbears. Hah! Someone else here watches American Chopper!
Dropbears. Hah! Someone else here watches American Chopper!
Dropbears. Hah! Someone else here watches American Chopper!
Dropbears. Hah! Someone else here watches American Chopper!
Dropbears. Hah! Someone else here watches American Chopper!
Dropbears. Hah! Someone else here watches American Chopper!
it was 114 f for a whole week – a real heatwave
THose pix are PROSH. I’m happy to see I’m not the only person who contemplated putting dishes of water out back to attract Koalas.
However, we have deerses. Mucho, many, multitudes of big deer with lots of antlers and medium sized deer that look at me with the expresssion “yes, did you need something?
Last fall we were remiss in cleaning up the apple tree at the back of the yard and we are now a very popular stopping place for the neighborhood herd.
I _knew_ it wouldn’t take long before this one hit CO, which is why I didn’t send it in.
Mind you, I received it approx. 14 times in an hour – and it had changed location twice in that time. (Both Adelaide and Melbourne are dying from the heat currently, so either is quite feasible).
Wonder if I could get a shot of our local wombats having a soak??? (Yes, I have wombats. Jealous yet??).
I live in Australia! I want a koala! An echidna too. Pleeeeeease.
Seriously, I didn’t know that koalas could be so cute – whenever I’ve seen them in zoos they’ve been fast asleep.
STITCH! It IS you!!!
I KNEW you existed!!!
more of the lovasble things here
http://www.news.com.au/gallery/0,23607,5037290-5014156-1,00.html
Poor Koalas.
I understand Australia is going through a terrible, terrible heat wave right now. 
to all you koala-lovers, this story has a happy ending! apparently mumma k got disoriented in the heat and left bubba K to fend for himself, so he wandered away in search of water. after completing his ablutions, wildlife carers took him & then reunited him a day later with mumma k (who should be looking v. shamefaced indeed!). btw, koalas dont normally drink – they get water from the gumleaves so that shows how DAMN hot it has been here!
I used to live in Australia. The only things that rambled up on our back porch were a black snake and a funnel web spider. Not as Qte.
This post makes me meeess Straya!
Meeess Kwalas!
*ded*
Is it just me, or does he look a leetle evil in the 4th picture — just a wee bit, mind you. (but it’s a very, very cute evil)
I LOVE the last pic!!!
So why for you take down all my posts? They were mean.
I meant to say, it wasn’t mean…it was nice.
it killed me ded.
Ugh! I can’t get over how cute this is. I think it gets cuter every time I look at it. Since it was posted today, I’ve visited maybe 20 times.
This has got to be the cutest thing EVER! It had to be burning up for the little thing to just go onto someones porch like that for some water. Doesn’t it look like it’s in a jacuzzi lol. I wish I lived somewhere where there were koalas!
I am 100% positive this lil’ guy is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. ever.
This is so cute I can’t bear it. And it’s hilarious to think that after seeing these pictures thousands of people all around the world immediately thought about placing watere buckets outside to attract cute critters. (Mine will freeze over and attract sqwerls with ice skates on.)
Give him a Coca Koala.
That’s it. Goodbye. I’m movin’ to Australia!
*packs bag, calls airport*
This is adorable! And the more pics on the site are awesome too! I love how willing the koalas are to cooperate with the humans for a drink and their little haaaaaands awwwwww!
The last shot just screams ‘Can I have come bubbles’. To precious
We had almost the same thing happen with a ringtail possum (my pics didn’t work though) on one of the 40 degree + days.
He was trying to get to the water in the guinea pig hutch so we filled up a 2l ice cream container with water & put a couple of nectarines next to it as encouragement. After a couple of mins hesitating & checking it wasn’t a trap the possum had a drink & then climbed in to the water & ate nectarine while bathing.
It was so adorable.
That is sooooooo cute!
I want a koala on my balcony too! It’s a shame they don’t have them in Amsterdam
People should report back in a week of who visit their buckets… Can we have a bucket report week?
Hahaha, OMG. It looks just like a human baby, but with fur… And a koala head. I want one on my porch. Or balcony, I mean.
ADORABLE. But I really think that Kaola’s FREAK me out..they have this really creepy humanly feature of a small scary being with a large head…and opposable thumbs. eek.
this little guy and his mummy got seperated because of the extreme heat and he is going to be reunited with her when he recovers
I concur – probably one of THE best submissions – totally brilliantly adorable .. still grinning.
Must say, I often get as much enjoyment at reading everyone’s smart, funny & witty comments too – LOL at all the “If I put a bowl of water on my porch, all I’d find was a ….”
Me, well it’s Florida, but it’s only 35 deg outside right now, but I bet I could get a squirrel ‘girls gone bad’ jacuzzi scene going if I did put a water bowl out there
But it wouldn’t last long with my 2 Norwich Terriers Twix and Twizzler … http://twixandtwiz.com
koala tongue! omg koala tongue!
ka thud
That’s it – I’m moving to the land down under!
Alice the Brit-Twix and Twizzler are adorable-please pass along a succession of very loving snorgels to both of them for me.
Now you Peeps moving to Australia, be sure to bring enough Koala-sized buckets with you! (and a digital camera for to send back to the rest of us!)
This damn ecomony, I had to cancel a 2/14 fund raiser for the Orchestra. I’m bummed. Ah, well, maybe next year.
I used to work in a wildlife park & cleaning the Koalas was my favourite job.
@Nancy Koala fur is very very soft. They also smell surprisingly like eucalyptus.
It is very rare to see them actually drinking as they normally get enough water from from the leaves they eat, so that poor guy must have been very hot.
Also if you look carefully at the pictures you can notice that they have 2 thumbs.
If you follow the link in the article provided, there are more photos of wonderful, amazing people helping these sweet tykes out.
Poor darlings, this heatwave is terrible on everyone. Luckily this little one is doing well, and his story was shared.
and this http://www.sydneycyclist.com/forum/topics/cyclists-share-water-bottle
all this koala action is happening in my home town of Adelaide in the metro areas, these poor K’s must be soo hot and desperate as Koalas do not usually need to drink
This. Is. The. Most. Adorable. Cute. Sweet. Googly eyed. Thing. EVER. The little guy is so trusting. *swoon*
What an awesome little anipal.
I love it that Mr. Koalapants is smart enough to taste *before* he gets in and – er – muddies the watairs. Also I love the plinkitude of the clawses in the last photo.
re: pic #4…does anyone else think he looks a tiny bit evil? for me that just enhances teh qte, but still. evil. he’s going to take over the planet with his evilqte and i’m totally ok with that.
LOVE!!!! I have been sick all week and this just brightened up my day!!! YAY! Koalas, next to red pandas, are my FAVORITE!
I came here to submit this story and found it to be already here! With a slightly different array of pictures than those I got the story from. This and everyone’s comments have me in gleeful overload right now. The puns are tops. Y’all are SHINY and COPACETIC!
I’m joining the ranks of the NYers who want to put a bucket on the porch and get a koala visit!
@cath: your comment made me LOL!
@Elsie–best Aussie pun ever!
Great CO post!
lil koala sez “did you not know about global warmingks?”
i shall run outside now to see if any koalas in my container of water.
Go here:
http://www.news.com.au/gallery/0,23607,5037290-5014156,00.html
An entire GALLERY of koalas drinking from containers!!!
You can hear an interview with the person who took the photo of the koala on my blog…click hear: http://brendenwood.com.au/?p=430
So cute!
AHHHHHHH!!!!
What a great picture, this koala surely knows the good life! A “Cold tub”
I agree with Kallisto, this picture cannot be topped. Ever. But go ahead.. just try.
I’m sure you will. You never posted my baby alpaca pics! That’s a try!
That is so cute I’m now officially too stupid to function…
This is just the best thing I have seen in a couple of months. THANKS
it is the best post ever, please put it in CO Calendar for 2010!
Somebody needs an eucalyptus scented bubble bath.
since I live in Melbourne, Australia, I’m really chuffed that everyone world wide is so thrilled with (my) koala. Australia not a mythical place, and yes there are places outside of the major cities where the wildlife live really close to the houses with humans. I live 7 km from the city and I have possums living in my ceiling (not a good thing -believe me). I see them in my garden at night. they are achingly cute, but a bit naughty when they eat my vegie patch and wee in my ceiling space.
SO I say to all you northern hemisphere guys/gals, come visit australia and see for yourself. you can go to places where you can handfeed kangaroos and coloured parrots. the koalas dont do much, they just sleep lots.
I knew it. They ARE like cats.
How cute… I can ship some snow over if you want.. We have more than enough to spare here in the UK
I just found this post on a bicycling site:
http://cyclingtipsblog.com/2009/02/how-hot-is-it-in-australia/
Poor babies. I wonder if koalas are normally that sociable, or if it’s just the heat making them desperate?
For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, those hot dry conditions that caused the Koalas to come looking for water contributed to the worst bush fire disaster north of Melbourne on the weekend.
Over a hundred people were burnt to death and they are still finding remains of folk who were caught by the unprecedented speed and ferocity of the fire.
If there are any Aussie expats out there who might want to donate to help the survivors left homeless by the fires, you will find more info at this site: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/08/2485598.htm
Lil from near Melbourne, I hope you and yours are safe and well.
For any CO readers who may wish to make a donation to help the injured wildlife, there is an organisation called Wildlife Victoria that are asking for donations. Their website:
http://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/cms/index.php
He is so cute. i just want to eat him/her.
Anthony Pittarelli
I WANT TO GO TO THERE!!
a land where teddy bears run free and cool off in a tiny tub on your porch?!
I, must, get , there, somehow, ehn!
Save the koalas!
Save the koalas!
Save the koalas!
Save the koalas!
Save the koalas!
Save the koalas!
I actually got to hold one of those little critters when I visited Australia about 15 years ago (I don’t think they allow that anymore). They are THE SOFTEST THINGS EVER!! They look like their fur would be all coarse and wooly…it’s like a Chinchilla’s coat…only softer.
I am a bit late, but OHMYGOODNESS!!! I sent the link to my sisters in TX and they are freakin out!!! We all want one. A baby one. Ok…we want THAT one! I live in Manhattan, and could easily pass it off as a pet… no one’s business anyway!!! I… WANT… THAT!!! baby tongue, ear fluff…cute face…AWWWWW!!!!
OK, I *know* it would be sick and wrong to keep a koala as a pet.
That said:
I want one!!!!!!!
aww this is cute, but it actually breaks my heart to think that it’s so heaty out there for them that they have to leave their habitat and seek for refuge.
it’s a good thing he found really good people.
This happened to me too. I have photos somewhere else on the net. By the time my koala got to my yard it was too late. It drank and then rested but by the next morning we found it had not survived the heat wave. Poor thing, I wish there was more I could have done but it waited too long to ask for help from humans.
For the poster a little way back who had heard that koala fur was like a brilo pad?
No,,, it’s actually even softer than it looks
Yes they are doing it tough just now,, and the Northern ones are actually being flooded out atm. But, they’ve been around a while and no doubt will be ok in the long run.
Gute Arbeit hier! Gute Inhalte.
Just to puncture all those non-aussies dreams of cuddling a koala – They are grumpy, very smelly, have very sharp claws and are not at all soft and fluffy.
Sorry
One of my co workers used to live in Australia and she says that these cute little suckers are kinda mean. But they are nice to ppl when they need stuff I think this was during that big forest fire
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