An 82-year-old man named Terry has become a surprise social media hit after being filmed rescuing a confused koala from the middle of a busy Queensland road.
The heartwarming and hilarious incident unfolded on Beaudesert-Beenleigh Rd, northwest of the Gold Coast, where traffic came to a standstill as the elderly driver calmly stepped out of his car, scooped up the animal, and carried it to safety under a nearby gum tree.
But it wasn’t just the daring dash that captured hearts online, it was Terry’s apparent scolding of the koala, prompting social media to erupt with theories on what Australia’s newest folk hero might have been saying.
“Don’t worry people, he’s got his koalafications to handle marsupials. What a legend,” one viewer wrote.
“The koala looked up like (he was) being scolded from grandpa,” another joked.
Others imagined Terry narrating in a “David Attenborough voice” or warning the animal, “don’t you listen to that bloody chicken … nothing good comes from crossing the road.”
One user summed it up simply: “The most Australian thing I’ve seen today.”
The mystery has since been solved, with Terry revealing to 7News exactly what was said in the now-famous exchange.
“I was telling him not to scratch because I’m trying to help him,” Terry explained. “And the little mongrel just kept scratching.”
Terry said he assumed the koala was just trying to protect itself.
“If you get hold of the bear quick enough and hold him the right way, they realise, especially when you start moving off the road, that they’re getting out of danger.”
Despite now being hailed a national treasure, Terry remained humble.
“Well, I didn’t know all of that,” he said with a laugh.
Terry even checked in on the marsupial, now nicknamed Ted, twice later that day to make sure it was safe.
“I had to look up and I couldn’t see him. All of a sudden he moved, I spotted him,” Terry said.
“Yeah, he knew I was back.”
With nothing more than a few scratches and a lot of goodwill, Terry has proven that not all heroes wear capes, and he’s a koalified hero.
Images: Channel 7
