Severe storms lashing New South Wales' coast has devastated the state, but thanks to one kind-hearted resident there's a spot of light.
A tiny baby koala was found on the ground after the storms by Louise Haynes, in the coastal town of Hawks Nest.
"I wrapped it in my jumper and rushed inside," she told ABC News. "It was cold when I picked it up, but soon warmed up and snuggled in."
When the Hunter Koala Preservation Society Care and Rescue (HKPSCR) tried to reunite the infant, which only weighs 356g, with its mother, they were disappointed.
As the baby sat at the base of the eucalyptus tree and wailed, the older koala ignored it. Without intervention, it could die in the cold, so HKPSCR leaped to the rescue.
Cold is no longer a problem for the koala, which has since been named Louise after its original saviour.
Its new bed is a cosy flannelette-lined woollen pouch on top of a warmer, set at 34degC.
It's hoped Louise's plight will draw attention to the endangered creatures.
"The Hawkes Nest koala population is considered on the brink of extinction, so this little female is very precious," HKPSCR says.
Newshub.
