Online fundraiser for bushfire-hit koalas reaches Aus$1 million

An online fundraiser for the koalas who suffered the plight of the devastating bushfires of Australia reached the levels of Aus$1 million ($680,000) on November 21 making the campaign Australia's largest marketing campaign as reflected by GoFundMe. The devastating bushfires perished several Koalas in the region of New South Wales.

Fundraiser tops with Aus$1 million

The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital launched a crowdfunding web page to supply funds to the automated water-consuming stations for wild koalas which, after receiving the funding, reached a mark of  Aus$1 million. There were more than 20,000 individuals from America, France, and England who donated for the cause. The donation received was tremendous as compared to the initial aim of  the wildlife charity 'Help Thirsty Koalas Devastated by Recent Fires.' 

READ: Fundraiser Collects $140,000 To Help Perishing Koalas In Australia

Funds raised to help firefighters and people in distress

GoFundMe stated that “the wildlife charity’s Help Thirsty Koalas Devastated by Recent Fires drive, which had a preliminary aim of simply Aus$25,000, bought extra donations than some other marketing campaign in Australia this year”. The platform is considered among 700 bushfire-related fundraisers. One of the platforms was able to raise  Aus$60,000 in order to help the firefighters combat the blazes and also help the people in distress. 

READ: After Surviving Bushfire, Burnt Koala Gets Its First Sip Of Water

Fundraise for the koalas

Australians have raised nearly $140,000 through an online fundraiser to protect one of the country's iconic animals, koala on November 11. The wildlife authorities informed the global media that due to the fires, hundreds of genetically diverse Koalas have perished. The Rural Fire Service of the New South Wales region (NSW RFS) said that due to bushfires at least 150 houses in eastern Australia have been destroyed, three people are reported to be dead, seven are still missing and almost 30 people had been wounded.

Wendy Afford who started the fundraiser believes that it was just one way to help the survival of koalas and other wildlife by providing access to water to reduce further deaths from dehydration. The money raised will be distributed among the drinking stations in the fire-affected areas, and if more money is raised, they might even transfer funds to Koala habitat across the state. The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital which is responsible for taking care of the Koalas declared it a national tragedy. The funds, however, will be very helpful in protecting the Koala's who are still alive. A lightning strike on October 27 instigated a bushfire in an area that is critical to the unique Koala population, which is 400km north of Sydney. 

READ: Woman Risks Her Life To Save Koala From Wildfire In Australia

READ: Tragic Beyond Words: Australia Bushfire Claims Over A Hundred Koalas