Burleigh Heads childcare centre catches curious koala casually popping in for a visit on video
STAFF at a childcare centre have captured the moment a cheeky koala strolled in to the kindy on the hunt for gum leaves.
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A CONFUSED koala thought it’d found a buffet of bush tucker when it came across Gumleaf Gully last week — but it turned out to be a childcare centre.
Lead educator Caroline Horsfall posted a video of the close encounter to the Burleigh Heads kindy’s Facebook page, with the koala appearing to check out the facilities while trying to sniff out some dinner.
“This was really cool to see it so close,” Ms Horsfall said.
“We get bush turkeys throughout the yard, rainbow lorikeets. We have a pet day, but nothing too exotic. Having a wild one in here was kind of cool.”
The koala pop in happened at about 5.30pm on Thursday when Ms Horsfall left the door open to take the centre’s rubbish out, and was over within a few minutes as it found its way out again.
Most of the children had been picked up at the time, with some in a classroom next door.
“When I came back he’d come in, he’d squeezed through the gate in the foyer,” Ms Horsfall said.
“I was a little bit nervous at first because I could see its claws, they were a little bit long.
“He explored the room, walked around, he tried to climb the curtain and the door frame.
“I took my camera out, I thought I’ve got to get this on camera. He definitely wasn’t stressed.”
Ms Horsfall said development was going up in Burleigh Heads, however it’s more likely the koala wandered in from the environmental reserve next door.
“We’re right next to Fleay’s (David Fleay Wildlife Park), I think he might have come in from over there,” she said.
“It’s so weird you don’t see koalas, you see all the signs saying they’re around but I’ve never seen one.
“I wasn’t in a rush, the children were going home soon so I sort of enjoyed the experience. He wasn’t stressed at all. He got in and out just fine.
“We’ve been saying he’s our mascot, and we’ve called him Blinky.”
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