A couple's shock upon discovering a koala sitting in their bedroom in Australia has taken TikTok by storm.
The clip of the charming and unexpected encounter was posted by Fran Dias Rufino (@frandiasrufino) and has garnered more than 54.8 million views since it was shared on November 12.
Fran, a 32-year-old digital influencer and businesswoman, and her 34-year-old husband, Bruno, a business analyst, live in Adelaide in South Australia. "It was the first time that we found a koala in our bedroom," she told Newsweek, adding that it had come through their "doggy door."
The couple said that the koala was in the room for around five hours before it was discovered. "We don't know for sure what he did, but he messed up my bedsheets and blankets on my bed," Fran said.
The video begins with Fran's husband standing in the doorway of an untidy bedroom. Moments later, a koala is seen sitting quietly on the floor in front of open bedside drawers. The animal is shown with its back to the camera, seemingly unfazed by the room's human occupants.
In the clip, Bruno says in disbelief, "oh my God … there's a koala in the house," while Fran can be heard speaking in Portuguese, as she confirmed in a later comment.
The caption shared with the post reads, "A normal day in Australia," encapsulating the somewhat unsurprising nature of the scene.
The poster said that the moment was captured around 12:30 a.m. local time in their old house, a place where the windows don't open. Fran later commented: "Was 12:30 a.m., definitely I was surprised to have [the koala] making a party in my bedroom."
As the koala climbs onto the top of the bedside drawer, the husband repeatedly asks, "oh my God, what do I do?" before the video ends.
Koalas are one of Australia's most recognizable and beloved native animals. The Australian government's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) says that koalas are found across the east and southeast coast of the country, from the Cairns region in northern Queensland to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.
However, in February 2022, the combined koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory were up-listed from "vulnerable" to "endangered" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
This change in status was due to various impacts, from an increased prevalence of intense weather conditions caused by climate change and habitat loss to diseases and mortality due to vehicle and dog encounters, as outlined by the DCCEEW.
Conversely, koala populations in Victoria and South Australia are considered stable and are not listed under the EPBC Act, the DCCEEW says.
'That's Not So Bad'
Fran told Newsweek that they did contact a koala rescue service but, "as it was 12:30 a.m., they wouldn't be coming."
Her husband eventually managed to use their dog's blanket to grab the koala and place it outside their house, Fran added.
Viewers on TikTok were both amused and relieved by the couple's late-night visitor, with many initially bracing themselves for something far more frightening.
Nicole Misikowetz commented: "I read 'a normal day in Australia' first & thought oh it's gonna be a big spider. Saw the Koala and was like aw that's not so bad."
Proudpatriot1 posted: "I was so relieved … I thought it was going to be a monster spider." User @notfran.com added: "I was expecting a demonic sized spider."
User @caitypf wrote, "He looked so annoyed at you for overreacting," and its seanne imagined the koala's thoughts, saying it must have been thinking: "Can u guys calm down? I literally doin' nothing."
Other users found the koala's appearance endearing. Vela Medlop commented: "How the koala turns to see who is talking so loud."
Username04592741 posted: "Pick him up and love him!" KarenGeeEats wrote: "You pick it up and cuddle with it duh."
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