Heartbreaking video shows dozens of kangaroos fleeing Australian bushfires

A heartbreaking video has emerged which shows dozens of kangaroos fleeing from their homes as Australian bushfires continue to rip across the southeast coast. The kangaroos are seen running for their lives across grassland near the New South Wales (NSW) village of Bredbo, searching for safety from the fires. The video was shot by a Twitter user who reportedly said that the closest bushfire was around six miles away from the land they were running over. 

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According to international media reports, the wildlife rescue services have rescued some of the kangaroos and treated then for burnt feet pads, however, they have estimated that millions of animals have already been killed by the bushfires. A volunteer at Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Services reportedly said that it was concerning that rescuers were not receiving as many animal patients as they would expect. According to reports, many species including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, possums, wombats and echidnas have been affected by the wild bushfires and koalas are feared to be among the hardest hit, with an estimated 30 per cent of just one koala colony on the country's northeast coast thought to be lost. 

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Rescue operations launched

As the wildfires continue, the NSW Police have also reportedly confirmed that at least 17 people are now believed to have died and a number of people still remain missing. Australian authorities have also deployed military and navy to evacuate tens of thousands of people stranded on popular seaside towns of the east coast. According to authorities, more than 200 bushfires are active across the southeastern states of New South Wales and Victoria. 

The evacuation had to be ordered on Wednesday as the bushfires in the region were rapidly advancing. Thousands of people are still stranded on the beachfront since New Year's Eve. Authorities have launched a rescue operation as they deployed five military helicopters and two naval ships. One of the ships was headed for the coastal town of Mallacoota in Victoria, where around 4,000 people have been trapped. The navy rescue team will also carry 1.6 tonnes of water and paramedics.

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