Koala kontent: The shining beacon of hope that kept us smiling in 2016
2016 was an emotional year of dizzying highs and Mariana Trench-level lows.
It seems only fitting then, that somewhere amongst the political garbage fires and the passing of a few music legends, that a new breed of hero emerge.
Or species of hero, if we're being specific. Videos of disgruntled and often-asleep koalas of Australia, were the internet's light of Eärendil in the Shelob's lair that has been the past year.
They've proven themselves to be serious on-screen talent. Here are some of the greatest koala moments of 2016.
The best kind of tantrum is a koala tantrum
When a koala photoshoot was gate crashed by an pesky butterfly
During a photoshoot at Symbio Wildlife Park, a monarch butterfly perched itself on the schnoz of Willow the koala, as she prepped for her close up.
A spokesperson for the park told ABC that Willow wasn't fussed sharing the spotlight though, saying "Willow came running over and starting getting really inquisitive, nuzzling up to it. Before we knew it, it actually flew onto Willow's head and then stayed there for ages."
The little koala dude who tried to move in with humans
Home invasion isn't really a cute subject, but when the invader is a lost koala it's less terrifying and more of a funny surprise.
14-year-old Nicholas Sneath was reading in bed when he heard a noise outside his bedroom door. That noise turned out to be a slightly lost koala turned home intruder.
An orphaned koala joey found comfort in his stuffed toy doppleganger
After a car accident left him orphaned, 9-month-old koala joey Shayne was cared for by Australia Zoo's wildlife warriors.
Part of that rehabilitation process saw him find comfort in a stuffed toy in his likeness and the rest is the stuff Disney films are made of.
The time a young koala accidentally head butted a tree
Little Mason of Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary seems to have forgotten how trees work, because he ran straight into one.
Incredibly rare twin koala babies made their real world debut
The first known instance of identical joeys was only recorded in 2000 at the University of Queensland, Australia, making this teensy duo who live in the bush outside of Raymond Island's Koala and Wildlife Shelter extra special.
One dropped in on his local accountant
When Victorian MP Harriet Shing was driving down the main street she didn't expect to see a curious koala.
After guiding it across the road, the inquisitive koala proceeded to head toward a nearby accountant's, probably to make sure its taxes were in order. Maybe.
We got an answer to the question "do koalas make good pole dancers?"
This fella wandered into Nikki Erickson's house while Erickson was at work in June. Making good use of her doggie door, the koala, whether intentional or not, has a nice little routine going on.
Until 2017 you sleepy marsupials, thanks for making us smile this year.
Topics Animals
