Miracle moment as koala joey rides Golden Retriever Denni to safety in 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 Portland, Australia, after the dog approached the yard with the joey cradled on her back. The moment was captured on video and quickly drew online praise, along with discussion from wildlife experts about how dog breeds can influence such encounters.

Steve Lamplough, a Portland resident, said he rushed outside after hearing his dogs barking and was stunned when Denni came running up to him with the koala joey secured on her back. He grabbed his camera and documented what many described as one of the cutest moments seen on the internet. The joey eventually climbed off Denni and made its way back to its mother in a tree in Lamplough's backyard. Neither animal was hurt, and the mother and joey remained safe up in the tree.

Experts weighed in on the incident, noting that the breed of dog can influence how a koala responds to a canine companion. Dr. Bill Ellis, founder of The University of Queensland's Koala Ecology Group, told Daily Mail Australia that the koala joey “found the right dog,” adding that Golden Retrievers are less likely to attack koalas. He said the breed can mediate such interactions, and emphasized that little koalas will automatically grip onto almost anything, which can help them if they lose a parent. The broader point, he noted, is that the interaction could have gone badly with the wrong dog.

Koala-dog interactions are not entirely unprecedented. Ellis said that koalas riding on the backs of dogs has happened before, describing a scene from years past in Brisbane where people could take boat trips to Lone Pine Sanctuary and encounter dogs that would come down to greet visitors with joeys clinging to their backs as a stunt. While the current case ended safely, experts highlight the risks associated with dogs and wildlife alike. The Australian Koala Foundation cites that dog attacks are the third most common cause of koala deaths, and notes that koalas have thin skin and vulnerable internal organs that can be damaged by a dog's bite; the statistic—80 percent of dog attacks on koalas resulting in death—serves as a sobering reminder of the potential dangers involved in such encounters.

Public reaction online was largely positive toward Denni’s behavior, with social-media users praising the dog’s gentleness and expressing hope for the koala’s safe recovery. Some commenters speculated on Denni’s role, suggesting the dog’s nurturing instincts or potential familiarity with wildlife could have influenced the outcome. The video and subsequent discussion have reignited conversations about human-wildlife interactions in suburban settings and the responsibility of pet owners to supervise dogs around native wildlife.