Eats, shops and leaves: Koala ambles through Australian supermarket

Agencies | Sydney, Australia

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A koala has been spotted ambling through an Australian small-town food store, briefly clambering out of the trees to take a peek at the day’s groceries.

The fluffy marsupial padded into an independent supermarket in the country town of Meeniyan, about two hours’ drive from Melbourne.

Photos showed it strolling the soft drinks aisle, scrambling up a spice rack, and perching on the newspaper stand -- briefly pausing to nibble on gum leaves offered by a staff member. Store owner Kaelene Shervall told Australian media she had “great difficulty” getting the stubborn koala out of the shop and back to some trees nearby.

Koalas are endangered in parts of Australia, with population declines in some regions made worse by bushfires and land clearing for mining. Despite popular misconceptions, koalas are not members of the bear family