What should you do if you find an injured koala?

When Rose and Gran found Smooch’s mother, and then Smooch, it was quite a scary situation. Not only were they confronted with a pack of blood-hungry dogs, but there was also an injured koala’s life hanging in the balance. If you ever find an injured koala, it’s important that you know what to do. Here are some steps that you can follow:

• First, check for danger. Will you be safe if you help out? If you’re alone or with friends, call an adult or a teacher to assist you.

• Keep other animals away and don’t try to pick up or touch the koala (unless advised otherwise by the koala rescuers). It’s also really important to keep calm and quiet because koalas stress very easily.

• Next, make sure the koala needs rescuing (maybe it’s actually okay). You could do this by watching the koala for a minute to see if it’s just resting or trying to find its way.

• If the koala is in trouble and on the ground, place a washing basket or something similar on top of it to keep it safe. Stay nearby until rescuers come.

• Don’t try to feed the koala, but providing a bowl of water may be a good idea – ask the rescuers for advice.

• Even if the koala’s not moving, there may be a joey inside, so please ask an adult to call for help. You could try the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL or call your vet for the number of your nearest wildlife organisation, such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Or you could try a postcode search on www.fauna.org.au to find a nearby wildlife carer.

• Lastly, you could store the right rescue number for your area in your phone just in case!