A quick-thinking couple swooped in to save a koala and her tiny joey moments before disaster struck on Stradbroke Island.
Sunshine Coast man Nick Duggan was driving past a park with his wife Pia when he noticed a group of people on the side of the road.
Nick Duggan pulled the koala to safety. Supplied
Looking closer, they realised what had drawn the crowd: a mother koala with her joey.
Duggan told nine.com.au they quickly turned the car around and got out to help, arriving just as the mum began to climb under a nearby truck.
Worried the pair would wander into the hot engine bay or get hit on the busy road, Duggan knew he had to act fast.
He asked Pia to grab a towel so he could pick up the mother without being badly scratched.
“My process was pretty simple really: get the mother and baby to safety without stressing them both out any more than they already were.
Safe at last – mum and bub were carried to a nearby tree. Supplied
“And if I copped a few scratches in the process, it would be worth it to know they are safe.
“The towel did the trick though, and the mother was actually quite calm once she knew I was of no threat.”
Nearby paperbark trees were difficult for the koala to climb, so Duggan took her and the joey further down the road towards denser bush.
Once they reached a suitable tree, the mum took over.
“I found a couple of trees with smooth bark, and as soon as she saw one she liked she actually jumped from the ground onto the trunk of the tree and climbed up with her baby on her back.”
Duggan said he hoped the rescue would encourage people to act when an animal was in immediate danger.
Duggan said he hoped the rescue would encourage people to act when an animal was in danger. Supplied
“I hope it makes people stop and think that sometimes situations require a swift response, and you can’t always wait for help to arrive.
“I also want people to realise that anyone could have done this, and I don’t think it makes me particularly special.”