Teenager gives thirsty koala water in heatwave

A teenager has helped out a thirsty koala during the weekend’s heatwave with a drink from her water bottle in Shepparton, Victoria.

The teenager, who wants to become a zookeeper, offered the animal some water from her bottle.

"He ended up drinking three bottles of water," she said.

Shepparton is currently in the grip of intense heat, with temperatures soaring over 40 degrees on three consecutive days.

Koalas don't usually drink water, getting all the moisture they need from the leaves they eat. But extreme heat dries out the leaves and sends the animals down from the trees in search of extra hydration.

Their conservation status is currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, due to increasingly frequent heatwaves caused by climate change, habitat loss and disease.