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Published 14:31 IST, April 25th 2020

Australian Bushfire: Injured Koalas treated; officials re-release them into the wild

Several Koalas who were injured during the deadly Australian Bushfires have been treated and re-released into the wild, stated reports. 

Reported by: Manjiri Chitre
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Several Koalas who were injured during the deadly Australian Bushfires have been treated and re-released into the wild, as per local Australian reports. The Koalas have been re-released at the Lake Innes Nature Reserve in New South Wales. The Koalas were being treated at the world's only all-Koala hospital in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie.

Meanwhile, while tourists are not visiting Australia at present, the officials stated that this gives hope and serves as a reminder of the resilience of flora and fauna and people. 

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80% koala wiped out

According to Steven Selwood of South Australia Veterinary Emergency Management, there are only 9,000 koalas remaining, out of the 46,000 that were thought to be on Kangaroo Island before this season's bushfire. According to reports, some experts estimate that around 80 per cent of the Koala habitat has been wiped out since the deadly fire started down under. Koalas are already listed as vulnerable but conservationists and environmentalists believe that they should be now categorised as endangered.

Read: Smoke from Australia's bushfires killed more people than fires: Study

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Read: Australia honours 25 victims killed during unprecedented bushfires in NSW

The Australian Bushfire 

The Australian Bushfire began in June 2019 with several uncontrolled fires that peaked during December to January. The Bushfire is also known as the Black Summer. As per reports, as of March, the fires have burnt an estimated area of over 18 million hectares and has destroyed over 5,900 buildings. The fire has also killed hundreds of millions of animals and over 30 people. 

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Read: Koala rescued from bushfire inspects which tree to climb, watch video

Read: Australia: Officials declare 'State of Emergency' as bushfires threaten Canberra

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14:31 IST, April 25th 2020