People have been creating little mittens for koalas burned in the Australian wildfires and my faith in humanity has been restored.
Numerous bushfires are currently wreaking havoc in Australia, affecting both residents and wildlife. As fires tear through habitats, locals have been discovering dozens of injured and dehydrated animals in need of help along the east coast.
In an attempt to help the suffering animals, locals have been creating both mittens and little pouches for marsupials to snuggle up in.
Watch the RSPCA’s guide to making animal pouches here:
As a result of the fires, wildlife hospitals have seen a huge influx of animals, and they are struggling to keep up with the demand for supplies.
Thankfully, members of the public have proved there is some good left in the world by doing their bit to help the animals who have suffered as a result of the blazes.
In an attempt to aid the wildlife hospitals, not-for-profit group The Rescue Collective has been collecting and distributing supplies from the public to domestic rescue and wildlife hospital services throughout Australia.
Nicole Blums, an organiser to the operation, explained to ABC Radio Brisbane:
If it’s an animal that’s lived in the bush they’re ending up in wildlife hospitals at the moment. Reptiles, koalas, joeys, snakes are all being found by people either trying to escape the fires or being caught in them.
Some particularly handy creations have included small items being sewn by local residents, like the mittens for koala bears and pouches for marsupials.
Blums continued:
We have had people knitting koala mittens for burnt pads and sewing pouches for marsupials.
People are so passionate to help the animals, they want to save our national emblems and they want to do whatever they can to help.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has explained they are no longer appealing for mittens as so many kind people have already provided the knitted goods, though they are still in need of monetary donations to help pay for medical supplies.
Many of the animals are suffering from smoke inhalation and dehydration, though unfortunately Blums said the devastation has really ‘only just started’.
She continued:
There are many areas that no-one can get into at the moment – people are finding animals on the side of the road or in the homes as they’re fleeing out of the bush.
We’re getting them the supplies they need but we do know this is the tip of the iceberg and the worse is yet to come.
According to Blums, more than $75,000 has gone to koala hospitals in the state so far. The Rescue Collective has also had a lot of help from over 1,000 kind people who want to help the wildlife hospitals deal with the big intake.
Blums pointed out the hospital staff are ‘vital to helping get the animals back on their feet’, so every bit of support is welcomed.
Once the fires calm down, the group plans to support the carers who are out on the ground rescuing animals.
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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.