A starved and dehydrated koala was fortunately rescued from a cave after being carried away by recent rainfall.
The adult koala was recovered from a cave in Victoria during last week’s extreme weather.
A kayaker discovered the marsupial along a rock face on the Glenelg River, which borders South Australia.
Bucky the koala was rescued and transferred to Werribee Open Range Zoo, where it received immediate medical care.
The animal has since been returned to its natural habitat following successful treatment.
A starved and dehydrated koala was fortunately retrieved from a cave in Victoria after being carried away by recent rainfall.
The marsupial was discovered by a kayaker along a cliff face on the Glenelg River before it was transported to Werribee Open Range Zoo for treatment. Since then, the animal has been returned to the wild.
Dr. Natalie Rourke, a senior veterinarian, felt the koala had fallen from a tree during the Victorian storms, landing in the river below before being washed into the cave.
She told 9News that the koala was rapidly becoming weak from malnutrition since he had no access to his daily eucalyptus food while he was locked in the cave.
‘Koalas are not natural swimmers, so it could have perished attempting to leave the cave in search of food’
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