An Australian couple returned from work only to find a koala in their bedroom. Fran Dias Rufino and her husband Brunno returned to their east Adelaide home around 12:30 AM on Wednesday and spotted the intruder. “I was scared, happy and excited at the same time,” Fran told CNN.
Fran, a Brazilian immigrant in Australia, shared the shocking experience on Instagram, saying she was speechless when she saw the animal inside her house. In the video, the koala was seen sitting on the floor next to their bed and looking at Fran and her husband. Then, it jumped on a bedside table and leapt onto the bed. While Fran yelled in the background, the koala was seen scuttling around the house, perhaps trying to find a way out.
“Only in Australia haahahahah. We came from work now (12:30am) and we just found A KOALA in my bedroom in my bed. Any tips? I was so nervous that I forgot my English ahahahha. Brunno put him out in the end but I was scared because he was aggressive,” Fran wrote.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by FRAN DIAS RUFINO (@frandiasrufino)
Koalas are primarily found on Australia’s east and southeast coasts. These animals are at risk of extinction in areas such as New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, due to disease, drought, bushfires, and land clearing. Their numbers in South Australia, where the couple lives, are steady. In certain places, populations are so robust that they are being managed to protect the habitat.
There are concerns that endangered populations along Australia’s east coast may continue to fall due to disease and habitat destruction. A 10-year national recovery plan was introduced in 2022, but according to an annual report published in May, two years later, the long-term survival chances for wild koalas in designated areas are still “poor.”
