A koala has been escorted to safety by police from a busy Australian highway on Saturday (March 26).
The native marsupial wandered across the Brisbane Valley Highway in hinterland west of the Queensland State Capital, Brisbane.
Footage posted to Facebook by Queensland couple Mike and Lee-Anne Phipps shows traffic stopped on the roadway while a policeman shepherds the animal to safety.
Bemused motorists looked on as the koala ambled and hopped casually along the highway, before eventually taking refuge in a tree.
"Only in Australia, made our day," Phipps said on Facebook.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the police officer stayed close to the koala until it climbed the tree.
Sunshine Coast University Professor Peter Timms, who studies koalas, thanked the officer for making sure the animal left the road. He warned that it is dangerous to pick up koalas because they have sharp claws.
