Australian Police Find Baby Koala in Woman's Backpack During Arrest
The baby koala is doing fine and has been named Alfred.
— -- Australian police discovered a fuzzy baby koala in a woman's backpack while she was being arrested on Sunday.
Brisbane authorities arrested a 50-year-old East Brisbane woman for "outstanding matters" at 8:55 Sunday night and asked if she had anything to declare before she was taken into custody, police said.
"The woman handed over a zipped green canvas bag, telling officers it contained a baby koala," the Queensland Police Department said in a statement.
"Not quite believing their ears, the officers cautiously unzipped the bag and found this gorgeous boy," the police department said, with accompanying photos of the adorable joey peeking out of a bag.
The koala was estimated to be about 6 months old, weighed in at 1.5 kilograms (about 3 pounds) and is in good health, police said. Police officials said this was a first for them, and they quickly turned over the koala to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Queensland.
"He's been on fluids but is doing well and will shortly be going out to a carer," Michael Beatty, a spokesman for RSPCA Queensland, said in a statement, adding that workers named the adorable koala Alfred.
The RSPCA said that anyone who finds a koala should "not attempt to handle it."