A surprise guest appeared in the home of the McCormick family, halfway up their Christmas Tree. A native Koala, named Daphne by Taylah McCormick, 16, found her way into the home and took comfort in their festive foliage. “It was a fake tree and very old but she still tried eating the leaves off it,¨ Taylah recounts. The Koala, with an empty stomach from her journey, mistook the plastic pine for a Eucalyptus leaf.

. ¨I saw her munch down on some but she stopped when she realized it was plastic.” The family told interviewers they had seen Koalas around their property, but never in their home. Nonetheless, their visitor persisted.

 After mother Amanda McCormick found Daphne, she called a nearby Koala Rescue Organization, Adelaide and Hills Koala Rescue, and asked for their help. “This evening our hotline operator took a call. At first, she thought she was the victim of a prank call,” The organization posted on Facebook Wednesday. “But no, a koala… had wandered into Amanda McCormick’s house and decided it wanted to be the fairy on the Christmas tree.” 

The recent Australian bushfires have left many animals scared and in need, and Animal Conservation Organizations have come to their aid. Adelaide and Hill relocated Daphne to a nearby tree, and bid her farewell. The event was captured on Taylah`s TikTok and offered others a view into the bizarre yet lighthearted experience, from the discovery, capture, and release. Currently, the Organization assists in the conservation, habitat regeneration, and rehabilitation of Koalas around the region. As for Daphne, she was reluctant to leave the McCormick home, but eventually let go, and was returned to her natural habitat.