Struggling To Survive Australian Bush Fires

A koala receives care at a rehabilitation center after being rescued from the wild fires in Australia.

Recently wild fires have not only been destroying forests in Indonesia, but they have been and are continueing to destroy hundreds of hectares of native habitat in Victoria, Australia. Hundreds of animals have perished in the heat and smoke. Wildlife such as the koala bear have taken a fairly large hit,

"Hundreds of dead koalas on the ground, many others needing help...," reports a caretaker on scene.

Several volunteer wildlife groups have opened their doors to wildlife that need immediate medical assistance. The types of animals that have come into rehab include koalas, wombats, wallabies, snakes, lizards, kangaroos, rosellas, and wedge-tailed eagles.

Through our Australian office, IFAW has been supporting search and rescue efforts for Help for Wildlife in Victoria, the Mansfield Wildlife Shelter and other individual caregivers. Unfortunately reports indicate that injuries are so extensive that most animals will not be able to return to life in the wild.

These have been sad days for many rescuers and rehabilitaters around Australia. The images alone depict the difficult reality wild fires can have on wildlife. View our Flickr account for more rescue photos.