It’s rare for a story that includes the words ‘train station’ and ‘koala’ to end happily, but luckily, that’s just the case with this story. Â
A koala’s early morning outing at Casula train station was captured through CCTV footage.
The koala had squeezed under a fence at around 4.15 am on Friday and wandered across the platform where it breached the yellow line and teetered dangerously close to the platform edge.Â
It later climbed up the station stairs, slowly made its way across the footbridge and patiently waited for the lift doors to open. After the elevator failed to make an appearance, the koala walked back down the stairs where an early morning commuter stopped to take pictures.
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Soon enough, a train guard on a passing train noticed the koala at Casula station and rang the Rail Operations centre. Trains scheduled to pass through were also warned to slow down.Â
The koala’s explorations were cut short after NSW Police arrived at around 4:30 am and encouraged it to go down the platform to nearby bushland. The koala climbed over the station fence without further intervention by the police.
This incident occurred just five months after another four legged commuter made the news. In April, a racehorse made its way to Warwick Farm station and even ran alongside a train before it was captured.Â
Southwest Sydney is home to a large koala population, but they face mounting threats from urban development.
Vehicle strikes have increased in the region in recent years as new roads increasingly divide their natural habitat and force the animals into harm’s way.
The NSW government has invested $600,000 into the region as part of its koala strategy, appointing a dedicated koala officer, restoring habitats and tracking the animals to avoid vehicular deaths.
The strategy also targets 18 other koala populations across the state, backed by a total investment of $15.7 million.
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