Golden Retriever Denni carries koala joey to safety in Australia

In Portland, Australia, a baby koala that had slipped from its mother's back was carried to safety on the back of a Golden Retriever named Denni, in a moment captured by Steve Lamplough, a Portland resident. The scene drew attention online, with Lamplough describing the moment as remarkable and sharing that his dog Denni appeared calm as she approached with the joey perched on her back.

Lamplough rushed outside after hearing his dogs barking and found Denni running up to him with the koala joey on her back, an image he later described as one of the cutest things he had seen online. The joey eventually climbed off Denni and made its way back to its mother, who was in a tree in the backyard. Lamplough wrote that no one was hurt and that the mother and joey remained up in the tree in the garden.

Experts note that dog attacks are a major threat to koalas. The Australian Koala Foundation has estimated that about 80 percent of dog attacks on koalas are fatal, underscoring how fragile these encounters can be. Dr Bill Ellis, founder of the University of Queensland Koala Ecology Group, said the koala joey here “found the right dog,” adding that a different breed could have produced a very different outcome. "The wrong dog would've been a disaster, but Golden Retrievers are very much less likely to attack them," Ellis said, describing the interaction as a matter of the dog’s breed acting as a mediating factor. "The breed of dog is the mediating factor in this interaction."

Ellis also noted that young koalas are sometimes attracted to supportive surfaces or animals as they navigate a tree, and that a dog’s presence can inadvertently provide a safe perch in the moment. He added that koalas riding on the backs of dogs is not entirely new; he recalled accounts from years past where koalas clung to dogs during public demonstrations or tours, including some stories linked to Brisbane’s Lone Pine Sanctuary.

Public reaction to the incident highlighted the warmth of the moment. Social media users praised Denni for her gentle behavior, with one commenter calling the dog amazing and another noting that the act reflected kindness and care. A third comment described the reunion as a special moment and expressed relief that the koala and its mother appeared to be unharmed. In the end, the family confirmed that the mum and bub were still up in the tree in the garden, suggesting a peaceful outcome for the day.

The episode has renewed attention on the delicate balance between domestic animals and wildlife in urban settings, as communities reflect on how pets and native species interact and the steps people can take to protect vulnerable wildlife even in everyday, potentially risky situations.