The touching moments to emerge amidst the devastation of the South Australia bushfires that have ravaged the Adelaide Hills area.
More than 26 homes have now been lost in the harsh and devastating bush fires currently tearing through the Adelaide Hills in South Australia.
The blaze has been compared to the deadly Ash Wednesday fires that tore through South Australia and Victoria over 20 years ago, killing 75 people.
Through the devastation though, as farms and bushland is lost and huge numbers of wild animals and livestock are killed, sometimes there is some good news to emerge too.
Animal welfare groups now say that injured Koalas are now in desperate need ofcotton paw mittens to help them recover and are calling on the Australian public to help.
“Koalas with burns to their paws need to have them treated with burn cream and wrapped in bandages. They then need special cotton mittens to cover the dressings. All this needs changing daily so we’re asking if you can help us by sewing koala mittens – as many as they can before the fire season truly hits,” Josey Sharrad from the International Fund for Animal Welfare said.
If you can help, Volunteers are encouraged to use the sewing template on IFAW’s website and drop them off at local wildlife centres or at their Sydney offices. Find out more here: www.ifaw.org/australia
Here are some of the more touching moments to emerge from the heartbreaking fires as some adorable animals (and people!) have been lucky enough to escape.
Meet Jeremy. He is the darling Koala receving treatment from the amazing guys at the Australian Marine Wildlife Research & Rescue Organisation Inc (AMWRRO) Clinic.
Meet Jeremy. He is the darling Koala receving treatment from the amazing guys at the Australian Marine Wildlife Research & Rescue Organisation Inc (AMWRRO) Clinic.
Poor Jeremy is one of the many animal victims from the terrible bushfires.
Animal welfare groups now say that injured Koalas are now in desperate need of cotton paw mittens to help them recover and are calling on the Australian public to help. [Find out how you can help make and donate the mittens here](www.ifaw.org/australia).
Animal welfare groups now say that injured Koalas are now in desperate need of cotton paw mittens to help them recover and are calling on the Australian public to help. Find out how you can help make and donate the mittens here.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare have designed mitten templates especially for Koala paws on their website. Download them here.
Jeremy in much happier spirits, feeling much better!
The dedicated team who worked hard to fix Jeremy’s paws in the AMWRRO clinic.
Adelaide Hills resident Kerry Goldsworthy posted this video: “Came home to find a very hot and thirsty koala right in our front yard! Im going to remember this forever. He drank for 15mins straight before looking much better and climbing a tree.”
Jo and her husband Gregg were devastated as the fires tore through the wildlife sanctuary where they cared for more than 40 kangaroos and native animals. The pair fled with as many animals as they could manage, but now they have found themselves without a home.
Kerry wrote: “when we first got home he was lying on the hot concrete trying to get shade behind the wheelie bins. Poor thing.”
Kerry later posted that: “Just watched him leave, he’s been in our tree all afternoon. Got to give him a second drink and basically repeat the experience of earlier today. Sad to see him go!’
Kerry poses with her thirsty backyard visitor.
SA Fauna Rescue shared the story of a family in the Humbug Scrub area who were inspecting their burnt out property when they saw this “poor ringtail possum trying to get under the water tank. Whiskers were singed, paws burnt and very dehydrated.” The rescuers were able to pick her up and said “This little ringtail is named ‘Smoky’ and is safe at the moment”
Tea Tree Gully fire crew rescued this baby koala at Paracombe after a fire went through. Desperate for a drink, he sat on one of the firefighters laps as he lapped up water to beat the heat
Twitter user @Karina_Natt posted this pic of her dogs on the back of the ute as they escaped the fires. She wrote: “not our pooches I have them safe!”
Nine News journalist Edward Godfrey posted this: “Just saw these horses running from #HumbugScrub #SampsonFlat bushfire. They’re ok.”
Another grateful koala has a sip of water by the roadside
Bird Nerds – a birdwatchers Facebook page posted this image of a “Yellow plumed Honeyeater having a bath in a puddle at the Gluepot Bird Reserve, SA – photo by John Gitsham”
A haunting image of bushfire smoke looming over Adelaid.
In a touching community effort, James Robertson of the Hampshire Hotel Adelaide has thrown open the Hotel’s doors to families in need
Nine News journalist Alice Monfries posted this haunting image: “Heartbreaking. This little guy hanging in there off Kersbrook Rd”
A scorched road sign in the Adelaide Hills, posted to Twitter by Nine New journalist Edward Godfrey
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