In southern Australia a koala was found clinging to the wheel axle of an SUV. The koala traveled 10 miles before other drivers alerted the SUV motorist to the koala gripping the bottom of the vehicle.
Firefighters had to remove the wheel in order to free the animal. The koala was crying a little bit but was otherwise fine, with only minor injuries.
In 2015 ABC reported a driver hitting a koala at about 62 mph. The driver thought the animal must have died in the collision, but when the driver arrived home, about 6 miles later, the koala was alive, lodged in the grille of the car. The driver and her family helped the animal grab onto a blanket to pull itself free. They then let the animal rest in their garage before animal care workers arrived.
As to why koalas end up in situations like these, Don Bigham from Fauna Rescue told ABC “They don’t behave in an extremely bright manner sometimes.” He added, “They walk down the middle of the road, [even] sit on roads.”
A similar road collision weeks after that one resulted in a koala with its head lodged in the grille of vehicle. A neighbor dislodged the koala. It ran off, jumped over a fence, and climbed up a tree. A koala rescue organization captured the animal and brought it in for a checkup. The car had issues with its cooling and radiation system after the incident.
