Heartbreaking moment cyclist shares water with desperate koala during 40C heatwave in Australia

Tim Baker28 December 2019

This is the heartbreaking moment a cyclist shares her water with a dehydrated koala which was begging for water during the record-breaking heatwave in Australia.

Thousands of koalas are thought to have perished in the wildfires ravaging the continent, while experts fear that around half a billion animals have been killed in total.

Videos and pictures of the dehydrated animal were shared on Instagram by a cyclist called Lulu, who told of how the koala approached her as she rode and climbed up onto her bike.

The animal can then be seen drinking thirstily when offered a water bottle during 40C heat.

The koala was desperate for a drink
Instagram/@Bikebug2019 v​ia Reuters

Lulu said: "Photo of the day, Australian Koala Bears, suffering severe thirst in a heatwave.

“This Koala walked right up to me as I was descending and climbed up onto my bike while I gave him water."

Thousands of the animals are thought to have died in the fires
Instagram/@Bikebug2019 v​ia Reuters

The footage was taken just outside Adelaide, in south Australia.

While the wildfires are mainly affecting New South Wales, the south Australia region has also experienced fires.

Australia bush fires hit 'catastrophic level - In pictures

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The mid-north coast of New South Wales is home to one of Australia's most populous koala habitats, thought to be between 15,000 and 28,000.

Lulu added: "My new best friend coming for a ride on my bike this morning on another 40C day in Adelaide, South Australia where we are in the midst of a heatwave and the countryside is burning out of control with bushfires for several days now.

“Devastating losses of homes and wildlife. Brave firefighters.”

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