Koala Bears – Death Of Sam the Victorian Bushfire Koala
August 17th, 2009 by Johanna Lloyd, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
The Victorian bush fires that happened in February 2009 were shown throughout the world. They caused mass devastation. 210 people lost their lives and the fires burnt over 400,000 hectares. Thousands of people were left with nothing.They lost their homes and businesses.
There was one ray of hope that united the nation during these difficult times – the rescue of a Koala called Sam. Millions saw the video of Sam being given water from a fire fighter. The Koala had second and third degree burns on its paws but recovered well at South Ash Wildlife Refuge.[I:http://supermaxshuttle.com/airportblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/JenniferSchellington9.jpg]
It turns out that Sam the Koala had a disease called “Urogenital chlamydia” This disease has affected nearly 50% of the Koala population particularly in the Victoria area. It may sound familiar to you as Chlamydia is usually associated with a human sexually transmitted disease. Koalas are affected similarly with females becoming infertile. Other symptoms include urinary tract infections and even loss of sight.[I:http://supermaxshuttle.com/airportblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/JenniferSchellington8.jpg]
Sam the Koala was to have an operation to remove some cysts caused by the disease. Unfortunately when they came to operate, it was clear that the disease was much more wide spread and nothing could be done. It was decided to allow Sam to be euthanized rather than let her suffer.
The firefighter who rescued the Koala and gave him the water, David Tree, is said to be devastated. The Koala was for him such a fighter and a symbol of hope for the bushfire survivors. The people of Victoria intend to place a commemorative plaque near the place where he was given the water.
A native animal to Australia, the Koala is a must see animal on your visit to Australia. You’ll see them high up in the Eucalyptus trees if you are lucky. This is their main food supply and actually gives them 90% of their water requirements. It’s very rare for them to drink water.
They are marsupials which means they carry their young in a pouch. The baby Koala is called a joey and is only 2cm long when it is born. It then lives inside the pouch for about 6 months. After that it spends time in and out of the pouch until it is big enough and strong enough to survive on its own.
If you want to cuddle a Koala then you need to go to a wildlife park or Koala sanctuary. Not all will let you, but some will. The nicest way to see a Koala though is in the wild. Unfortunately they are no where near as common as the Kangaroo so seeing one can be difficult. You just need to know where to look.
My only piece of advice is not to attempt to cuddle one in the wild. If you disturb their sleep they can be ferocious. Take a look at their claws and you’ll understand why.
For a local’s perspective on where to see Koalas in the wild, go to the Real Australia Travel website detailed below. It also contains some interesting facts as well as the video of Sam taking the water from the firefighter.
