Because I feed strays around my house, I like to listen out for kitten sounds before setting off, especially in the winter when they seek the warmth of the engine. However, they have entirely different animal problems in Australia - snakes on the windshield, hitting kangaroos and all sorts of spiders in the air intake. However, I don't think I've ever seen a koala stuck in a car because they usually stick to the tree canopies.
Before we tell a sweet story about animals, let's remember that we're a car news website and be factual about all this. The vehicle is white with black wheel arch cladding, a pointy headlight, black 20-inch wheels and chrome door trim. It can only be the Volkswagen Touareg!
Good, now that we got it out of the way, let's get back to Kelli the hitchhiking koala. We don't know what drove her down from the trees and into the wheel arch of an SUV, but it could have been chased there by a dog or other koalas in a territorial dispute.
The story took place in Adelaide, which is in the middle of nowhere in Australia. Ten miles into the journey, the driver heard an animal crying and immediately stopped. Upon closer inspection, the marsupial was discovered hiding in the left front wheel well. As it was clinging for dear life to the suspension, rescuers had to be called in. They removed the wheel and got the reluctant Kelli out.
The good news is that she only suffered a bit of burned fur and it could have been much worse. Turning the steering wheel too much could have easily crushed her. However, the koala was found to be lactating, and nobody knows where her cub is. After a week in captivity, just to make sure she's alright, they released her into the wilds back where the car started its journey.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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