A heroic firefighter working in Australia managed to pull six koalas out of harm’s way after he spotted them huddled together in the midst of a bushfire.
Hundreds of firefighters have been working tirelessly for weeks on end in an attempt to limit the damage caused by bushfires raging across three states in Australia.
The blazes have killed at least nine people, destroyed more than 700 homes and scorched millions of hectares, destroying huge swathes of koalas’ natural habitat.
Dozens of the marsupials have been rescued from the flames, with one woman using the shirt off her own back to do so, but there’s still lots of struggling animals out there.
One firefighter, named Adam, was tackling a blaze in Cudlee Creek, a small town near Adelaide, when he spotted six koalas trying to avoid the fire.
Along with some of his friends, the heroic man was able to rescue every single one of the koalas and ensure they were taken out of harm’s way.
An Adelaide resident named Janelle Michalowski drew attention to Adam’s ‘amazing work’, posting a photo of the rescued bears on Facebook, sharing a picture of the six koalas together after they had been taken to safety.
Janelle commented:
For those who liked my post, Adam is a fire fighter and currently working out in the field. He has made everyone’s day.
Check out the post below:
The poster added ‘Koala Rescue’ were ‘all over it’, indicating the animals had been taken to a shelter to be cared for. There are a number of animal hospitals providing aid for creatures suffering in the wildfires, so it’s unclear exactly where the koalas were taken, but hopefully all six of the animals will make full and fast recoveries from the ordeal.
Dozens of fires are still active in Australia and recent record-breaking temperatures have only worsened the problem.
In a post on Facebook on Friday, December 20, Adelaide Koala Rescue explained bushfires caused by the extreme heatwave have been ‘devastating koala colonies across the Adelaide Hills.’
The organisation continued:
We’re receiving calls to report deceased koalas with some colonies completely gone.
Adelaide Koala Rescue, which is a registered charity, has asked for donations to help it deal with the influx of wildlife it has had off the back of the bushfires.
A post explained:
Bushfire victims are rolling in and Adelaide Koala Rescue needs your help… The bushfire victims will continue needing rescue, treatment and rehab for survivors and we pay for it all ourselves.
Our registered not-for-profit and charity receives no government funding or support – we rely on donations and sponsors – please help.
You can donate to the charity here.
Everyone involved in the effort to tackle the fires and their impact is doing an incredible job; the work has been constant and their commitment should be commended.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.