Sweltering koala goes swimming at Morialta Conversation Park as Adelaide sweats through another scorching day

IT has not just been the people of Adelaide desperate to escape the heat as the city sweated through three days of scorching weather.

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IT has not just been the people of Adelaide desperate to escape the heat as the city sweated through three days of scorching heat.

The wildlife has also been searching for ways to keep cool, including this cute koala filmed taking a dip at the Morialta Conversation Park on Saturday.

Lovetia Gruhl filmed the critter at about 11am.

“I was walking at Morialta with my kids this morning and we heard some rustling across the other side of the creek, we didn’t know what it was at first and then we saw this little koala kind of tumble down the bushes and he lowered himself into the water,” Ms Gruhl told The Advertiser.

The koala cools off in a pond at the Morialta Conversation Park in Adelaide. Picture: Lovetia Gruhl/Facebook

“He got into the creek and sat in the water for about 10 minutes drinking and kind of swimming around.

“We had seen other koalas up in the trees but nothing like this, it was just lovely. He seemed to be enjoying himself!”

The temperature peaked at 38.5 degrees in the CBD on Saturday but some areas managed to again top 40.

It was certainly warm at Morialta during Ms Gruhl’s morning walk.

“We saw about seven koalas on lower branches of trees, but haven’t ever seen one move around so much, let alone put his whole body in the water,” she said.