Cops Find Adorable Koala Inside Wanted Woman's Bag

It was anything but a routine arrest.

When officers detained a wanted woman in Brisbane, Australia on Sunday night, they were stunned to find that she was carrying a koala in her canvas bag .

The unidentified 50-year-old claimed she was caring for the adorable joey after finding it on a road the previous evening.

“The koala, believed to be about six months of age, seemed to be in good health , although a bit dehydrated,” Queensland Police said in a statement on Monday.

Animal welfare workers from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Queensland (RSPCA) arrived on the scene to collect the creature.

“He’s been on fluids but is doing well and will shortly be going out to a carer,” said society spokesman Michael Beatty. “He weighs 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) and we’ve called him Alfred.”

Koalas are protected in Australia under the Nature Conservation Act . In such situations, the RSPCA urges people not to handle the marsupials, and instead call animal welfare officers for help.

“Often the animal may have no obvious signs of injury but it can have internal injuries that need immediate attention,” Beatty said.

Police have not revealed what crimes the woman was wanted for, nor if she will face any further charges following the koala incident.

This was not the only koala-related matter  the department dealt with over the weekend: