Dog Saves Baby Koala in Australia

A mother Koala and her joey. (Illustration - Shutterstock)
A mother Koala and her joey. (Illustration - Shutterstock)
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Dog Saves Baby Koala in Australia

A mother Koala and her joey. (Illustration - Shutterstock)
A mother Koala and her joey. (Illustration - Shutterstock)

Kerry McKinnon lives in Australia with her dog, Asha, and their life was never boring. One morning her husband called her to see how their Golden Retriever was sitting outside with a baby koala perched atop her back.

Asha is being hailed a hero for her role in saving a baby koala.

The Animal Forum website quoted the owner Kerry as saying: "It was quite early in the morning, and my husband yelled out to me to come have a look at something. I didn't know what he was talking about at first but then I saw this tiny koala snuggled on top of Asha. She kept looking back at the koala but she wasn't trying to get him off her or anything."

"She was happy to let him snuggle into her."

She added: "I think the baby koala fell out of his mum's pouch and didn't know what to do. He would have died out there if left alone all night."

"The poor thing could have been taken by a fox or something," she added.

The tiny koala was checked out by a vet, and a local carer is watching over the baby until it becomes old enough to be released back into the wild.



New Pair of Giant Pandas Gifted by Beijing Arrives in Hong Kong

A zookeeper feeds An An, one of two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong, before heading to its new destination, at Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on September 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
A zookeeper feeds An An, one of two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong, before heading to its new destination, at Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on September 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
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New Pair of Giant Pandas Gifted by Beijing Arrives in Hong Kong

A zookeeper feeds An An, one of two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong, before heading to its new destination, at Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on September 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
A zookeeper feeds An An, one of two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong, before heading to its new destination, at Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Dujiangyan, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on September 24, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT

Hong Kong welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing on Thursday with a lavish ceremony, raising hopes for a boost to the city's tourism.
An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Their arrival came after their new neighbor, Ying Ying, gave birth to twins last month and became the world’s oldest first-time panda mother on record, The Associated Press reported.
The newcomers bring the Ocean Park panda population to six, including the father of the twins, Le Le. Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-Yee noted that would make three generations of giant pandas at the popular Hong Kong zoo and aquarium attraction.
Chief Executive John Lee said An An is a 5-year-old male panda who is agile, intelligent and active, while Ke Ke, a 5-year-old female, is good at climbing, cute and has a gentle temperament.
The new arrivals will be in quarantine for two months to adapt to their new home. Lee expressed hope that the public could meet the new bears in mid-December.
In October, the government will invite residents to propose new names that showcase the pandas’ characteristics.
Tourism industry representatives are optimistic about the potential impact of housing six pandas, hoping it will boost visitor numbers in Hong Kong. Officials have encouraged businesses to capitalize on the popularity of the new bears and newborn cubs to seize opportunities in what some lawmakers have dubbed the “panda economy."
Pandas are considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country's giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy. Giant pandas are only found in China's southwest and their population is under threat from development.
But caring for pandas in captivity is expensive.