Public and hospital fight to save Australia koalas

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https://news.cgtn.com/news/2019-12-25/Public-and-hospital-fight-to-...

Bushfires in Australia continue to rage the country, leaving a tragic impact on wildlife and flora.

On Monday morning, an adult koala was found sitting still on a street near a burnt forest, dehydrated and hungry. The animal was sent to Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where 69 koala bears are receiving treatment for injuries caused by the flames.

Clinical Director Cheyne Flanagan (L) and Sheila Bailey treating a koala. / Screenshot from the video

Cheyne Flanagan has been working as the clinical director of the hospital for 20 years. She said that more than 300 koalas have been hospitalized so far this year, around 50 more than in the previous year due to the roaring fires.

Since the outbreak of the bushfires, the hospital has received over two million Australian dollars in aid funds, which will enable the koala conservationists to carry out new projects for the preservation of the animal, according to Flanagan.

Founded in 1973, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital houses Australia's best specialists on koala healthcare together with more than 150 volunteers. /A screenshot from the video

"The donations from the general public worldwide have been absolutely overwhelming. Our 'Go Fund Me' page, got the biggest input of funds in Australian history," she noted. Over two million Australian dollars are being used to build wildlife watering stations in New South Wales, and two to three koala breeding facilities might be built to tackle the situation. 

(Editor: Xing Fangyu)

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