Koala Chills Out Beside River to Escape Intense Australian Heat

A koala was spotted chilling out by a river on Sunday, January 13, at Narrandera, New South Wales, where the temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius, according to weather reports.

In this video shot by Grant Higginson, a koala joined holiday-makers along a river, stopping to have a drink and relax on the sand before wandering off into nearby bushland.

“We were having breakfast and the koala came down from a tree right beside where we were setup and it stood there looking at us for a while then walked to the river and stood and sat there. Hung around for maybe half an hour before strutting off to another tree,” Higginson said.

Narrandera was one of several areas across the country to experience a heatwave in mid-January.

Severe weather warnings were issued for communities in New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia as authorities advised residents to follow health and safety tips to avoid heatstress.

Authorities also urged members of the public to be on the look out for heatstressed animals and keep water sources full for local wildlife. Credit: Grant Higginson via Storyful