Amanda McCormick found a surprise visitor in her home this holiday season.
McCormick, a resident of Coromandel Valley near Adelaide, southern Australia, contacted the local koala rescue to help her out when she discovered a live koala in her Christmas tree. The rescue organization, called 1300Koalaz, wrote on Facebook about their experience with the unusual and hilarious circumstance.
"This evening our hotline operator took a call. At first she thought she was the victim of a prank call, but no, a koala desperate to get in the Christmas spirit had wandered into Amanda McCormick's house and decided it wanted to be the fairy on the Christmas tree."
Dee Hearne-Hellon, co-founder of the organization, said that although it wasn't unheard of for koalas to accidentally enter the home, it also wasn't necessarily an ordinary experience.
"The koala was a healthy juvenile female and was released out the front of the house, which is in a really lovely area for koalas if they have to live amongst us," she said. "The koala was still in the same tree she chose to climb when I saw her today (Thursday)."
The team celebrated the successful removal of McCormick's festive new friend with a seasonal jingle: "Tis the season to be jolly, Koalalalala Lalalala."