A YOUNG female platypus has survived a 15 kilometre journey in the engine bay of a ute which had driven through water at the Murrumbidgee River south of Canberra late yesterday.

“After returning to a friend’s house in Gilmore and hearing a scratching noise coming from the engine, the driver opened the bonnet to find a platypus inside. To say he and his friend were surprised is a fair understatement,” says Manager of Regional Operations, ACT Parks and Conservation Service Brett McNamara.

“The gentleman called Canberra Connect and was put onto our urban wildlife team who came and rescued the animal. Following a check-up from an animal carer, we returned the platypus to her home to Angle Crossing this morning. Quite remarkably, she was in perfect health.”

Mr McNamara says this was a “one of kind” event.

“Obviously there are many moving parts within an engine bay and given platypus have claws, there is not much to hang onto,” he says.

“Our urban wildlife rangers get calls ranging from snakes in houses to quolls in trees, but this was definitely one of our most unusual calls. It is just fantastic news that the platypus survived the journey and we have been able to return it to the area in which it lives. The platypus is one of our more unique animals – an egg laying mammal – and we are fortunate in the ACT to have many of them in the Murrumbidgee River.”

People who find a native animal in their house – or car – can call Canberra Connect on 13 22 81 for advice.