Australia: Sam the Injured Australian Koala bear recovering

Sam the koala is doing fine, And he, it turns out, is a she.

Update: Sam finds love in the pen with Bob, A bond between two burned koalas rescued from Australia's deadliest wildfires has provided some heart-warming relief after days of devastation and the loss of more than 180 lives and possibly millions of animals.

A koala nicknamed Bob puts his paw around fellow fire survivor Sam at the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, Australia, on Wednesday.

HEALESVILLE, Australia — The koala moved gingerly on scorched paws, crossing the blackened landscape as the fire patrol passed.

Clearly in pain, the animal stopped when it saw firefighter David Tree following behind.

"It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery," Tree told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally. He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby."

Injured Australian Koala bear

Local CFA firefighter David Tree shares his water with an injured Australian Koala at Mirboo North after wildfires swept through the region on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009. Suspicions that the worst wildfires ever to strike Australia were deliberately set led police to declare crime scenes Monday in towns incinerated by blazes, while investigators moving into the charred landscape discovered more bodies. The death toll stood at 181.(AP Photo/Mark Pardew)

The team called animal welfare officers as it resumed its patrols on Sunday, the day after deadly firestorms swept southern Victoria state.

"I love nature, and I've handled koalas before. They're not the friendliest things, but I wanted to help him," Tree said.

Tree says he's spoken to wildlife officials, and the koala, nicknamed Sam, is doing fine. And he, it turns out, is a she.

The rescue was one small bright moment in Australia's wildfire tragedy. Thousands of acres (hectares) have been burned out, almost 1,000 homes destroyed and more than 180 people killed.

Countless animals were killed in the disaster, which hit farming and forest regions to the north and east of the Victoria state capital of Melbourne, and many more fled in panic.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals said it was establishing shelters to care for thousands of pets and livestock affected by the disaster.

Injured Australian Koala bear video on Youtube
A thirsty koala rescued from the Australian wild fires has become a star on YouTube, the video-sharing website, emerging as a lucky survivor of the disaster that has killed more than 180 people.

Info Source: AP - Link
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