Australia's heat wave is so bad a dehydrated koala flagged down a cyclist for water

https://news.yahoo.com/australias-heat-wave-bad-dehydrated-213920906.html

kmclaughlin@businessinsider.com (Kelly McLaughlin)
,INSIDER•December 27, 2019

A group of cyclists found a koala in the middle of the road, looking dehydrated and confused on Friday. In what appeared to be a cry for help in the heat, the koala climbed on to one of the cyclist's bikes.

The cyclist, identified by The Independent as Anna Heuseler, filmed the koala drinking her water just outside Adelaide in southern Australia, and posted the video on Instagram.

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Some parts of Australia are facing a "severe" fire danger warning, CNN reported. Deadly bush fires have been burning across Australia over the last two months, killing at least 9 people and destroying nearly 800 homes.

The mid-north coast of New South Wales is home to 15,000 to 28,000 koalas. Ecologists fear up to 9,000 koalas may have died in the recent bushfires, according to The Independent.

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