This is the moment an Australian beekeeper comes across a koala at his hives.

Ben Moore from Blackburn South, a suburb of Melbourne, recorded the video showing the composed marsupial sitting on a tree near one of his remote apiaries on 20th December.

The short clip became an instant hit after being uploaded on Instagram where Ben has more than 34,400 followers.

Speaking about the footage to Newsflash, Ben called the encounter his “highlight of the year.”

Ben said: “This rare sighting was a delightful surprise. It added a touch of wildlife wonder to the already successful year.”

The 45-year-old family man and entrepreneur said he appreciated that the clip drew “even more attention” to apiculture and “the importance of preserving natural habitats for such unique wildlife encounters.”

Ben, who harvested an astonishing four tonnes of honey in 2023, argued: “The koala sighting not only became a symbol of the thriving business but also highlighted the harmonious coexistence of wildlife and human enterprise.”

It is not the first time that one of Ben’s videos caused a stir.

In November 2022, he stunned his followers by posting a clip in which he coolly stretched out his right hand directly at the entrance of a hive.

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Entitled “Giving the bees a helping hand”, the 20-second footage showed the pollinators swarming around and sitting on the palm of his hand. A small snail is resting there at the same time.

Asked by Newsflash to explain his action in consideration of many people’s fear of insects, Ben said: “Bees like any animal just require the right mindset to be able to handle them. Plus, a bit of cool smoke passives them.”

In June 2023, Ben issued a passionate appeal to support small businesses.

He published a list of activities which were priced at AUD 0.00. The chart included tasks such as “referring friends and family”, “subscribing to their e-mails” and “sharing their content.”

Ben captioned the post saying: “With Australia’s economy on the downturn and food and fuel prices at all-time highs. This is what everyone can do to help small businesses across the country!”