Ash was starving, thirsty and exhausted when she was found. Photo: Wildcare Australia Inc. / Facebook
A dazed and confused koala was found wandering helplessly through a large development site that she once used to call home before she was rescued.
The koala- named Ash was starving, thirsty and exhausted by the time she was rescued, Wildcare Australia said.
Ash was rescued by Wildcare Australia who said, "There is now nothing left for her to return to".
The forest where she was found at Pimpama just north of the Gold Coast was bulldozed to make way for new homes, the Daily Mail reported.
"This is a sight that saddens us deeply as not only has Ash lost her home but thousands of other animals including birds, reptiles, kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, bats and echidnas also called the area "home", Wildcare Australia said.
Ash was was taken to a wildlife hospital for a full assessment where "she enjoyed a large bucket of fresh eucalypt leaf".
The Gold Coast City Council have estimated that there are 500 koalas living in the area, the Daily Mail reported.
The conservation project says it aims to move the most at-risk koalas from areas where habitat will be cleared to areas of secure habitat and have asked Wildcare Australia to help with the project.
The new free open-air saltwater pool is already proving popular.