Arabic version: متنزّهة في بريزبن تنقذ صغير كوالا من ثعبان بايثون

According to ABC News, a Brisbane wildlife rescuer saved a koala joey from a python in Whites Hill Reserve at Camp Hill while walking her dog, Pluto. Nell said she heard a commotion about 15 metres from the footpath after noticing many birds.

When she reached the scene, Nell said the joey looked at her in panic while its mother scratched at the snake in an effort to free her baby. She picked up the joey and began unravelling the python, uncertain at the time whether the young koala was breathing or had suffered injuries.

Nell said the encounter unfolded quickly, leaving her holding the snake while the joey clung to her left shoulder and cried. A nearby man stopped to help, but when asked to hold the python, he declined and instead offered to hold Nell’s dog.

After placing the snake in a small tree, Nell checked that the joey was breathing and that its limbs were moving correctly. She then returned it to its mother, which had remained nearby. Nell later carried the python wrapped around her arm until she believed it was far enough away not to return.

Nell estimated the python was about 1.5 metres long and believed it could have killed the joey, though it may not have been able to swallow it. When she returned an hour or two later, she saw the mother and baby cuddling. She said she shared video of the rescue to raise awareness of the endangered species and the challenges koalas face.