Bushwalker scoops up joey as python releases its grip
A Brisbane wildlife rescuer acting on instinct saved a baby koala from a python's grip in Whites Hill Reserve.
Nell was walking her dog when she heard birds calling urgently about 15 metres off the footpath. Nell found a mother koala scratching at a python wrapped around her joey.
Nell scooped up the panicked baby and started unwinding the snake. Within moments, she had the joey clutching her shoulder and the python in her other hand.
A nearby man offered to help but quickly declined when asked to hold the snake. Nell placed the python in a nearby tree, checked the joey for injuries, then carried it to reunite with its mother high in the branches.
The python, about 1.5 metres long, was relocated far enough away that it would not return.
- 1.5 metres
- Python length
- 15 metres
- Distance from footpath
- Whites Hill Reserve, Camp Hill
- Location
Why it mattersQuick thinking in a wildlife emergency prevented a koala's death and shows the risks these animals face in Brisbane bushland.
AustraliaBrisbane residents and bushwalkers now see the real dangers koalas face from pythons during everyday walks through local reserves.
