This week in wildlife - the best pictures of animals around the world

Take a look at some of the best images of wildlife from the past week

Koalas sit inside a home in Cudlee Creek, South Australia, after being rescued from fires at a garden. Local firefighters assigned to protect a property from an approaching fire in South Australia on Friday helped a homeowner move koalas into her house to keep them safe from the flames. AP

A staff member moves a rescued koala to a temporary shelter at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney after it was rescued from the path of bushfires. AFP PHOTO / TARONGA ZOO

Flamingos gather at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary in Dubai. EPA

A heron flies over a river in Kumamoto, Japan. AFP

A Toyota Land Cruiser is pictured with deflectors, created by an eco-lodge owner, that allow it to drive slowly along a road that is usually closed for red crabs conducting their annual migration on Christmas Island, Australia. Chris Bray/Swell Lodge - Christmas Island via Reuters

A red crab walks near a Toyota Land Cruiser equipped with deflectors that allow it to drive slowly along a road that is usually closed for the crabs conducting their annual migration on Christmas Island, Australia. Chris Bray/Swell Lodge - Christmas Island via Reuters

A Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) basking under the sun on the rocks of the beach at Bambalapitiya in Colombo, Sri Lanka. EPA

Flamingos gather at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary in Dubai. EPA

US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Rose Agbalog looks through a view bucket to find freshwater mussels in the Clinch River near Kyles Ford, Tennessee. Scientists are working to discover the cause of a massive mussel die-off on the Clinch and understand whether it is related to similar die-offs on multiple US rivers and another in Spain. AP Photo

A Thai officer closes the window of cage where Cola, a 10-year-old female orangutan, waits to be sent back to Indonesia at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Wildlife authorities in Thailand repatriated two orangutans, Cola and 7-year-old Giant, to their native habitats in Indonesia in a collaborative effort to combat the illicit wildlife trade. AP Photo

A flock of spotbill ducks swims in a famous wintering site for migratory birds in waters off Hadori, Jeju Island, South Korea. EPA

A two-year-old alligator is held by a tourist at an airboat ride tour company on the Tamiami Trail just north of Everglades National Park, Florida. Louisiana is suing California over the state's decision to ban the import and sale of alligator products, saying the ban will hurt an important state industry and ultimately could hurt the state's wetlands. AP Photo

More wildlife and environment stories from The National:

Living with worms for the sake of the Earth

Abu Dhabi races to save wild antelope in Chad