Thirsty koala given a drink at Mitcham Primary School reserve

A PARCHED koala has left its lofty retreat in the trees to follow people around a park in the search for hydration — and they were ready with water, and their phones.

YOU can lead a koala to water but you can’t make him drink — however when the mercury has shot up as high as 39.7C in Adelaide, marsupials will accept a drink from just about anybody. Even journalists.

Advertiser journalist Craig Cook discovered this on Wednesday afternoon when he stumbled across a koala looking a little parched at Mitcham Primary School reserve.

The marsupial climbed down from its lofty perch in the tree and began to follow him across the park.

“I had never been so close to a koala and backed away but the koala kept following, eventually sitting at my feet,” Cook said.

Final shots of my Koala encounter - full story @theTiser (she's asleep in her gym tree again!) pic.twitter.com/uASF7bKgvD

— Craig Cook (@craigcook3) February 7, 2018

“Given the extreme weather it seeded reasonable she would need a drink and when one was provided the koala drank for 20 minutes without stopping.

“Local residents gently poured water on its back and at no time did it seems scared or concerned by the attention.

“The wonderful experience last well over 30 minutes until nightfall.”

A full bucket of water and another dish of water for cooling itself were left at the base of the koala’s tree.

“Locals suggested the koala was a female and the cub of a koala who had frequented the area for many years, but had died last year,” Mr Cook said.

“The encounter was a reminder all animals need assistance with hydration in such hot weather and my family will be checking the reserve every hot night from now on.”

While the koala is once again hydrated it should avoid looking at the forecast for the next couple of days because the heat is only going to get worse.

This Koala so needed a drink and seemed to know ilwe could provide it - please check on your own local wildlife pic.twitter.com/3mDqB2Cehi

— Craig Cook (@craigcook3) February 7, 2018

The temperature is unlikely to dip far below 30C on Wednesday evening before the heat returns with vengeance on Thursday and Friday.

Both days are set for a maximum of 39C as the hot weather batters Adelaide.

However cool relief is within sight as the temperature drops more than 10C, going into the weekend with Saturday forecast to reach 27C.