Staff and patrons at The Queenscliffe Family Hotel on Kangaroo Island were left amused this week when an unexpected customer wandered in – a koala.
Footage of the furry visitor casually roaming through the venue quickly made the rounds online, because of course it did – it’s not every day a koala goes out for a pint.
The marsupial reportedly sauntered in on Wednesday and spent about 10 minutes inspecting the aisles, assistant manager Nicole Arthur told 9news.com.au.
“It’s not unusual to see koalas wandering sort of around the streets in Kingscote,” she said.
“He just wandered down the road and then just walked into the front of the bottle shop that’s attached to the pub.”
Arthur said the koala appeared to be seeking refuge from the heat, making a beeline for the fridge section like any sensible Australian.
“The koala wandered into the main area of the bottle shop and parked himself by the fridges for a few minutes,” she said.
The animal didn’t appear injured or distressed, but staff called a local vet and wildlife service just to be sure.
In the meantime, they offered him a bowl of water while he cooled off.
“Somebody from the wildlife group came down and had a look at him,” Arthur said.
“Made sure he wasn’t in distress, made sure he was OK, and they just left him there.”
Locals were largely unfazed, but tourists were delighted to see one of Australia’s most famous icons stopping by.
“We just monitored him, made sure they weren’t harassing him,” Arthur said, adding that people should avoid touching or interacting with wild koalas.
“And then he wandered back out.”
Arthur said while it’s rare for koalas to stroll into businesses or homes, she wouldn’t be surprised if it happens again at The Queenscliffe Family Hotel.
“It’s just one of those things over here,” she mused.
“Nothing’s ever normal on Kangaroo Island.”
Images: Facebook/The Queenscliffe Family Hotel
