Cyclist stops to give thirsty koala dubbed 'Slurpy' a drink of water

It's stinking hot in Australia right now. So much so that koalas are drinking water, which is something they don't ordinarily do. 

Cyclist Matt Sully was riding around the Adelaide Hills last Thursday when he came across a thirsty little guy who was looking for a drink.

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"It was so hot in them there hills today ... The koalas were flagging us down to give em water," Sully wrote in a Facebook post.

"This little guy called 'Slurpy' was so thirsty he emptied my entire bottle."

Koalas normally hydrate themselves by eating gum leaves, which usually provide adequate moisture. 

But the country's hot summers can dry out these leaves. Last week, Adelaide experienced a heatwave which saw temperatures rise up to 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) — forcing cycling race Tour Down Under to cancel a stage and start earlier.

For the marsupials, the heat drying out these leaves means they resort to drinking water. One project is looking to install water fountains called "Blinky Drinkers" for koalas in parts of New South Wales.

As climate change pushes up temperatures around the globe, it's fair to say you'll see an act like this more often.

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