Injured koalas are in care at Port Macquarie Koala Hospital after the Crestwood-Lake Cathie fire scorched almost 3000 hectares.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The first two rescued koalas - Lake Innes Nature Reserve Paul and Lake Innes Nature Reserve Anwen - are badly singed and have burnt paws and burnt areas around their mouths.
Koala Conservation Australia president Sue Ashton says the next two rescued koalas, Lake Innes Nature Reserve Peter and Lake Innes Nature Reserve Elsie, are in much the same condition.
The rescue team brought back another three koalas - a mother and joey and an older male, on Monday, November 4.
The burnt and dehydrated koalas receive fluids during the first 24 hours in the koala hospital's ICU units.
The koala hospital team cleans up the burns the next day, while the animals are under anaesthetic, and applies cream and bandages.
The koalas receive supportive nutrition for a few days and the process is repeated.
Search and rescue teams will continue to scour the burnt-out bush for injured koalas and other wildlife.
Just over two-thirds of the fire ground footprint is prime koala habitat.
Experts estimate between 200 and 350 koalas died when the fire ripped through crucial koala habitat.
The koalas in that area are of national significance due to their genetic diversity.
Mrs Ashton said the community had been absolutely fantastic with donations, which include burn cream and bandages, since the fire.
"The community support has been very uplifting," she said.
Read Also:
The koala hospital turned to crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to seek donations.
The money will go towards drinking stations to help koalas and other wildlife in the fire-affected area, and if enough is raised, will also assist in other fire-devastated koala habitat areas in the state.
People can make financial donations through the GoFundMe page and the koala hospital website or in person at the koala hospital kiosk.
One idea is to donate to the koala hospital in lieu of betting on the Melbourne Cup.
Community members can also assist by adopting the fire-affected koalas through the koala hospital's Adopt a Wild Koala program.
Mrs Ashton also praised the koala hospital's volunteers.
"As soon as we knew the devastation of the fire and potentially how many we were going to lose, everybody just went almost onto autopilot," she said.
Volunteers are working extra shifts to get the job done.