Thirsty Koala Licks Rainwater Off Road After Downpour

Pamela Schramm/Facebook

After months of drought and raging bushfires, Australia has finally had some relief in the form of a much-needed downpour.

And it’s not just humans who have been thankful for the heavy rain currently alleviating many scorched parts of New South Wales.

Animals who were left severely dehydrated during the severe weather conditions have been gratefully sipping the welcome rainwater, licking it from the newly drenched roads.

Pamela Schramm/Facebook

New South Wales resident Pamela Schramm has shared poignant pictures and videos of a koala – who she described as her ‘little mate’ – joyfully licking rainwater from the Moree to Croppa Creek Road.

Sharing the images with her Facebook friends, Pamela urged drivers to be careful when out on the roads as wildlife were coming out for a long awaited drink, adding, ‘It’s heartbreaking to see them stressed’.

Writing in the comments section, Pamela explained she didn’t often use that particular road and had been travelling back home from Moree with her family when they spotted the precious critter.

Pamela also revealed she hadn’t previously seen any koalas out in the wild before in her area, making this sighting a particularly memorable experience for her and her kids.

Pamela’s post has since gone viral, with many commenters noting it was lucky that the family had stopped their vehicle to give the koala a helping paw. As one person grimly put it, ‘Unfortunately the trucks on the Newell don’t stop for them’.

Speaking with the Daily Mail Australia, Pamela explained she had initially believed the koala to injured but – after a while – twigged he was a healthy boy:

I thought he was injured as he was so quiet. But once he walked a little I realised he was fine. We couldn’t get him off the road he was just so thirsty.

Upon feeling his back and hips, Pamela was confident the koala was in a good physical condition. But she wanted to check with a wildlife carer to make sure he was 100% okay.

Returning after looking for a carer, Pamela found the koala had scurried up into a tree, having apparently sated his thirst. After watching Pamela’s footage, the carer determined the koala looked healthy as it didn’t seem to have diarrhoea, a symptom of chlamydia.

Pamela told the Daily Mail Australia:

When we got close to the tree he moved higher up. Which is exactly what a healthy koala should do.

Going forward, Pamela hopes her story will encourage motorists to watch out for thirsty koalas when out on the road.

Australia has been battered by wildfires since September, leaving at least 28 people dead and wiping out over one billion animals. It’s also estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km) of land across the entirety of Australia has turned to ash in the bushfires.

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Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.