The devastation left in the wake of February’s bushfires that raged through Australia’s state of Victoria is almost incomprehensible: over 200 people are dead; more than 1 million acres are charred; 20 towns have burned; and nearly 2,000 homes have been destroyed. In addition, wildlife rescue officials estimate that millions of Australian animals from koalas, kangaroos, and wombats to flying foxes, cockatoos, and turtles perished in the inferno.
For the animals that miraculously survived the disaster, many are in need of immediate medical attention with severe fire-related injuries that include singed paws, ears, and noses; burned lungs; and dehydration, blisters, and smoke inhalation. Wildlife rescue teams are working around the clock to find and treat the native animal victims of the bushfires.
how horrible those fires were! sometimes we forget about the animals that perish along with homes, towns, trees, forests, and people!!!! we just wonder why this has to happen and cause so much distruction and death and injury. we can only pray for better days ahead and pray the needed help will come. it seems there is so many bad things happening around the world today. we had all better remember our prayers at night.
I guess the real actual number of Australian wildlife that were killed in this devastating wildfire will never be known for sure. You can also count the losses of livestock as well. Here in the US, we will have our wildfires in alot of states, and some of those can be pretty devastating. But this Aussie wildfire has really outdone the ones that we get here! The last I have heard and read thru news websites is that a 29 year old man from Churchill, Australia, was arrested, charged with arson resulting in deaths of up to 21 people, and is still being held without bond in jail awaiting his hearing and trial.
The picture that you have with this article of Sam the koala that was rescued by an Aussie firefighter will be the poster picture as a lasting reminder of what wildfires can do to wildlife not only in Australia but also here in the US as well. During the dry seasons, everyone must be careful with campfires, trash burning, and cigarettes. A lot of areas around the country are under drought conditions right now.
My prayers are for all of the Aussie people that were seriously affected by the wildfires with property losses and losses of their families and friends, as well as for the livestock and wildlife that were affected. We hope that we won’t be seeing this kind of destruction again for years to come!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL