School Becomes Makeshift Hospital For Koalas Orphaned And Injured In Australia's Bushfires

Jan 13, 2020 by apost team

It is estimated that over 12 million acres have burned in the Australian wildfires, killing over a billion animals and destroying their once picturesque habitat. To relieve some of the trauma these creatures suffer, a rescue group has setup a make-shift koala hospital in a school gym.

Adelaide Koala Rescue recently established the hospital in the gym of Paradise Primary School in the city of Adelaide. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the facility is primarily helping koalas affected by the Cudlee Creek fire, which has been burning since September. Many of the 150 volunteers with the rescue group are veterinarians. The volunteers are pragmatic with the materials they have on hand and use the school’s playpens for hospital beds.

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Once admitted, staff at the hospital separate the koalas into different playpens based on their prognosis. Among the different playpens are those for koalas who are orphans, those who have burned, and those who have chlamydia, a common disease among the species. Jane Brister, the director of the group, said to the Daily Mail that many of the animals are so singed that it appears that they were once completely covered in flames.

Volunteers at the center closely monitor the progress of each koala, who are given individual names and charts. Once they are well enough, Adelaide Koala Rescue releases them back into parts of the brush that are far away from the fires. The rescue group says that the success of their endeavors is owed part and parcel to the outpouring of support from the community. Thus far, the group’s GoFundMe page has received over $147,000 in donations. Regular people also donate their time to help the animals, many doing things as simple as washing bedding for the koalas. Other local residents have donated trees for the koalas to climb as part of their habitat.

What do you think of all the efforts being made by Adelaide Koala Rescue and other groups in helping animals affected by the Australian wildfires?