KOALA Rescued From Australia Bushfire Didn't Make It :(

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Tue Nov 26, 2019, 11:45 AM - Edit history (1)

~ Named 'Lewis' the vet staff said the koala was older and his serious burns were not improving, see VIDEO #2.

BBC News. A koala which drew wide attention after being rescued from an Australian bushfire has died, after failing to recover from his burns. The koala, dubbed Lewis, had been taken to an animal hospital last week after a woman plucked him from a tree in burning bushland in New South Wales. Video of the rescue - which shows Toni Doherty using her shirt to wrap up the koala - was viewed globally. Vets said the marsupial was put down because his burns were not improving. "[Our] number one goal is animal welfare, so it was on those grounds that this decision was made," said Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.

◾Why do koalas fare so badly in bushfires?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50511963

Six people have died and more than 500 homes have been lost since a bushfire crisis began ravaging Australia in September. 'It was just so heart-rending' In the video, Ms Doherty is seen pouring water over the distressed animal in an attempt to cool it. SEE Video # 2...https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50553859

MORE, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/two-koalas-rescued-in-australia-bushfire-but-fate-of-hundreds-12057790

[donkeypoofed]

1. If they'd tried manuka honey on the burns he'd prob be ok

So sad.....

[Bayard]

2. Ohhh....damn

Was really pulling for this little guy.

[appalachiablue]

3. Same here, it's very sad. Wonder how others rescued recently are doing.

The 14-year-old koala had significant burns to its chest, feet and other parts of its body, vets said.

The hospital has treated dozens of koalas injured from the bushfires which have burnt through more than a million hectares in New South Wales alone.

[Karadeniz]

4. Poor sweet angel...I didn't realize he was in such a bad way. His passing caused many people

To better understand the severity of the wildfires. He mattered.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. And the publicity his rescue generated helped launch a major fundraising effort for so many:

Online fundraiser for bushfire-hit koalas tops A$1 million

SYDNEY: An online fundraiser for koalas injured in devastating bushfires topped A$1 million (US$680,000) on Thursday (Nov 21), making it Australia's biggest campaign on the GoFundMe platform this year.

Deadly bushfires have ravaged vast swathes of eastern Australia, and wildlife carers estimate the blazes have killed hundreds of koalas this month in New South Wales state alone.

A crowdfunding page set up by the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital to provide automatic water drinking stations for wild koalas soared past A$1 million, with donations from more than 20,000 people from countries including the United States, France and England.

The wildlife charity's "Help Thirsty Koalas Devastated by Recent Fires" drive, which had an initial goal of just A$25,000, got more donations than any other campaign in Australia this year, GoFundMe said, and is the second-biggest since the platform launched Down Under in 2016.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/online-fundraiser-raised-million-australia-bushfire-koalas-12113840