A curious koala sneaks into an Australian home and scales the Christmas tree

When you picture a Christmas tree, you likely imagine decorations like baubles, tinsel, and fairy lights. But one Australian woman returned home to find an unexpected guest: a koala.

Startled by the surprise visitor, Amanda McCormick, a resident of Coromandel Valley near Adelaide in southern Australia, reached out to the local koala rescue organization, 1300Koalaz.

"Our hotline operator received the call, initially thinking it was a prank," the organization posted on Facebook Wednesday.

"But no, a koala eager to join the holiday fun had wandered into Amanda McCormick’s home and decided it would be the perfect fairy for the Christmas tree."

Dee Hearne-Hellon, co-founder of 1300Koalaz, explained to Dinogo that while it’s not common for koalas to enter homes, it’s certainly not unheard of either.

"The koala was a healthy young female, and we released her just outside the house, in a lovely area where koalas can thrive alongside us," said Hearne-Hellon. "She was still in the same tree she had climbed when I checked on her today (Thursday)."

The team celebrated the successful removal with a festive tune on Facebook: "Tis the season to be jolly, Koalalalala Lalalala."

However, Hearne-Hellon cautioned against attempting to move koalas on your own.

"The best thing to do is leave them be, as they can become aggressive. Call 1300Koalaz for safe removal," she advised. "As adorable as they are, koalas have sharp claws and teeth."

Koalas, one of Australia's most iconic animals, are facing mounting threats as human activity continues to take its toll on their populations.

Bushfires, habitat destruction, collisions with vehicles, and dog attacks – all of which harm koalas – have worsened over the past decade.

This has led to a decline in the koala population and an increase in diseases affecting them, according to a study published in the academic journal PLOS ONE in late October.

Over the past 30 years, the number of diseased koalas has risen, while the number of sick koalas able to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild has significantly decreased, the research found.

Earlier versions of this story made the common but understandable mistake of referring to koalas as bears. While they do share some bear-like features (fuzzy ears, cute noses), they are actually marsupials.