Banjo, a 13-year-old koala stolen from the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby, was found in a parking lot yesterday. (via the Daily Telegraph)
After an anonymous caller tipped them off, staff rushed to rescue Banjo — who had been stolen from his off-display enclosure Monday night — and discovered him trapped in a milk crate.
PHOTOS: Koalas in Australia
Though the elderly koala lost weight and was slightly dehydrated, he was reported to be in decent condition otherwise. General manager Mary Rayner told The Daily Telegraph that the incident was “very distressing.” No other animals were taken and the zoo didn’t know why thieves targeted the koala.
Police are investigating the koala theft, which is thought to be the first of its kind in Australia.