Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said: He who seeks the company of those who insult the lovers of Allah has surely disobeyed Him, the Sublime.

The Australian Platypus Conservancy and the Melbourne Water Department together have surveyed and taken counts of the urban platypus populations. They found that platypus in the waterways were as healthy and well-fed as those in the wild, while some individual platypus from the waterways have migrated and re-colonized river banks with improved habitat.

Imam Sajjad (PBUH) said: Beware of the companionship of the sinful, and helping of the unjust.

Recently, platypus have started invading human-made urban waterways in Melbourne, Victoria, while disappearing from some wild areas, for reasons still not understood. The urban platypus most likely have been forced into artificial waterways due to destruction of their habitat by development, and there is enough live platypus food in the waterways to feed a platypus population.

Imam Sajjad (PBUH) said: The meeting of the righteous invites you to goodness.

Well-meaning people may try to rescue a platypus that is wandering and seems to be lost, a move that often proves harmful to people and platypus. A wild platypus captured by humans will probably die of shock. The rescuers may end up with days of pain and misery from a platypus sting. Wildlife education in Australia stresses leaving lost animals alone and calling a local office of the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage.

Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said: Be careful to have truthful friends and try to obtain them, for they are your support when you are in welfare, and your advocator when you have misfortune.

Platypus were nearly wiped out by hunting, into the early twentieth century, for their fine, soft, waterproof fur. Nevertheless, humans, out of carelessness and ignorance, continue to make life miserable for the platypus. The animals become entangled in fishing hooks and lines, and in fishing nets; such encounters end in drowning or in the scarring of the bill. Tasmania platypuses are being impacted by infection from an introduced fungus and by chemical pollutants.

Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said: My most beloved brother is he who (makes me aware of) my faults.

The platypus, almost as much as the kangaroo, has become a national symbol of Australia and of the odd, weird, and outright bizarre creatures native to that continent and country. The platypus is a symbol, as well, for the unique, the quirky, and the unexpected in nature, which makes the animal and its behavior a subject of curiosity and science education.