Why did the koala cross the road?

[samhexum]

Who cares(?), as long as he made it safely!

A kind Irishman who stopped traffic to help a koala across a busy Australian highway has been praised for the sweet gesture.

Will Thornton went viral this week after he was filmed carrying out the heroic traffic operation.

Mr. Thornton is seen, barefoot, stopping traffic on a dual carriageway in Burleigh Heads as the small fury traveler crawled across the infamous busy Gold Coast Highway yesterday.

“Our Irish son-in-law escorting koala across Gold Coast Hwy in Burleigh Heads this morning,” Katrina Boyle, who posted the video to Facebook, wrote.

The 39-year-old told the Courier Mail he spotted the critter while having coffee on his balcony.

“Myself and my wife were having a coffee on the balcony, and we noticed a koala coming out of the tree below us, and I thought it was pretty cool,” Mr. Thornton said.

“He started moving towards Gold Coast Highway, I thought that would be bad, so I bolted down to help him.

“He was hellbent about getting across the road.

“He just sort of kept going so I had to try and stopped the traffic. I didn’t really know what the hell I was doing.

“I was trying to get the cars to look.”

Mr. Thornton said road users were “pretty understanding” of his demands when they saw the animal he was trying to help.

“You can see in the video there’s a cyclist he had a good chuckle at me, people gave me the odd thumbs up,” the good Samaritan said.

His act has now been viewed millions of times online with the public overwhelmingly praising the man for his good work.

Thornton was greeted with praise online after the selfless act of helping the innocent koala was posted.  

Conservationists said the video should serve as a reminder that suitable koala habitats are shrinking.

“Southeast Queensland is an area that has been massively impacted by clearing, largely for development and transport,” Dave Copeman from the Queensland Conservation Council told The Guardian.

“We’re at the point where we just can’t have any more clearing going on – we are destroying koala habitats,” he said.

“The really distressing reality is koalas face extinction in the wild if we don’t turn around the current trajectory. The science is clear.”

Koala breeding season generally runs from September to February, meaning the sleepy marsupial can become more active and mobile in spring and summer months.

https://nypost.com/2023/01/13/irishman-in-australia-helps-koala-cross-highway-in-viral-video/

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

Some people inaccurately refer to Kualas as Kuala Bears.  But Kualas aren't considered Bears.

Why?  Because they don't meet the Kualafications!

[wsc]

2 hours ago, Vegas_nw1982 said:

Some people inaccurately refer to Kualas as Kuala Bears.  But Kualas aren't considered Bears.

Why?  Because they don't meet the Kualafications!

I gave this a HaHa, but what we really need is a "groan" emoji.

[samhexum]

These stories don't always end so heartwarmingly...

A California father died after being struck by a car Thursday night while helping a family of ducks cross a busy road.

The horrifying crash took place at Stanford Ranch Road and Park Drive in the city of Rocklin, about 22 miles from Sacramento.

William Wimsatt, a 12-year-old boy who witnessed the kindhearted stranger’s actions, said the man had stepped out of his car to help the ducks avoid traffic.

“He got out of the car and was shooing the ducks and everyone was clapping because he was being really nice,” William said.

The young boy took photos of the man, who has not been identified, with his cellphone as he and the ducks crossed in front of his mother’s car.

“He helped them get up over the curb because all the little baby duckies were having trouble and then he walked in front of our car,” the boy recounted.

After the ducks made it safely to the other side of the road, William said, onlookers in their cars applauded the good Samaritan’s actions.

“My mom rolled down the window and said, ‘Good job, good job,’ and I said, ‘Good job’ to him too.”

Right after that, William said, the man was struck by a car that seemingly came out of nowhere.

“I didn’t see the car actually hit him. All I remember is the sound and then him flying across the intersection,” he said.

“His shoes and one of his socks were right in front of our car.”

Another woman, Summer Peterson, told KOVR that her child also saw the tragedy unfold.

“They were saying, ‘Oh, it’s so cute. It’s so nice of him.’ And then all of a sudden he was hit by a car,” she told the outlet at a makeshift memorial for the man on Friday.

After the accident, William’s mother got out of her car and comforted the man’s children, who were sitting in their own car and witnessed the crash.

A makeshift memorial — full of rubber duckies and flowers — was set up on the corner where the accident occurred.

William said he hopes people remember the man for his kindness.

“He was the only person to get out of the car and try and help them and probably the nicest person in the entire area. It’s not fair,” he said.

Police are still investigating the cause of the fatality.

The driver, a 17-year-old girl, is cooperating with authorities and is not currently facing any charges.

DUI is not suspected, KOVR reported.

 

https://nypost.com/2023/05/22/california-man-fatally-hit-by-car-while-helping-ducks-cross-busy-road/