As everyone knows, Australia is plagued with wildfires. Even worse, a lot of them were intentionally set. Whether on purpose or not, these fires have killed more than 500 million animals. Among them, the koala population has been hit hard. Not only from the flames themselves but also due to a lack of water and the fact the eucalyptus trees they depend on for food are gone.
Stories of injured koalas have spread across different social media platforms. Many of them with a devastating outcome. But one little guy was saved. Even with all four of his paws badly burned, he was quick to show gratitude for the people who found him and brought him to safety.
They named him Billy.
This poor koala was discovered clinging to a tree in the backyard of a home in Adelaide Hills. Immediately, the man who found him knew this guy was in serious trouble. Calling for reinforcement, rescuers quickly arrived to assist.
He was initially so scared.
When the rescuer first approached Billy, he let out a cry, probably from both fear and pain. But by speaking to him with a soft voice, it was as though he knew these people were there to help. So, as they placed him inside a carrier, he began to calm down.
They immediately took him to a rescue organization that could provide him with proper care.
As one woman stated, “When Billy first came to us and might have bitten my husband’s hand had he been a different-tempered koala, he sniffed it and licked it gently instead.” Adam and Lucy Francis work for a wonderful organization called 1300Koalaz. Their sole purpose is to rescue and rehabilitate Koalas like Billy that have sustained an injury.
These volunteers continue to work around the clock in Australia.
With so many wildfires, the people who volunteer at 1300 Koalaz have their work cut out for them. For Billy, the team discovered that all four of his paws were horribly burned. You can only imagine the pain this sweet creature was enduring. Realizing the extent of his injuries, the Francis’ couple rushed him to a veterinarian clinic.
He looked so pathetic yet he was happy to be safe.
Sitting there with blue bandages on all four paws, the rescuers couldn’t help but pity Billy. Considering he couldn’t climb, as koala bears do, Lucy and her husband had to come up with a way to protect him while still allowing him to move about freely. So, they created a makeshift enclosure in their kitchen.
They began to bond with him.
Lucy explained, “We used a camping mattress for him to sit on, and placed a pillow behind him for him to lean back in as it was difficult for him to sit in a normal koala position.” Since Billy was a rather large koala, they wanted to do everything possible to help him. But he was still depressed and somewhat in shock.
Billy is on the mend.
Slowly, Lucy and Adam were able to handle him. They found out this big boy was very gentle and sweet. They began to gain his trust and even bond with him, making it easy to treat his paws with a topical cream to expedite the healing.
While Billy is making tremendous progress, in part due to his incredible personality, it’ll be some time before he can go back to the wild. Until then, he’s in a safe and loving place. Billy’s story is just one of many, which is why organizations like 1300 Koalaz and others continually accept donations.
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Source: The Dodo
