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Famous Victorian Bushfire Koala, Sam, Dies
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.
There is a disease called "Urogenital Chlamydia" that has affected nearly half of the Koala species. Unfortunately Sam the Koala had been affected by the disease. You may have heard of it as a human sexually transmitted disease and the impacts in Koalas are very similar. The disease leads to urinary tract infections, infertility and even blindness.
Sam the Koala was taken into surgery to remove cysts that were a direct consequence of the disease. On opening her up, the vet found that the disease had spread much further than they had first thought. It would have left Sam in too much pain. It was decided that it would be kinder to euthanize Sam
The firefighter, David Tree, was said to be very upset at the news of Sam's death. After all this Koala had shown real survival skills and had become a symbol of hope for the Victorian Bush Fire survivors. The good news is there will be a commemorative plaque put up near the place he was found.
If you are planning a visit to Australia, then you should make sure you see a Koala. They are native to Australia and live high up in the trees. They are very particular though and only like to eat Eucalyptus leaves. Only when they are sick will Koalas drink water as they get 90% of their water requirements from these leaves.
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.
There are many places you can see Koalas from wildlife parks to special Koala sanctuaries. Some of these places even allow you to hold them and cuddle them. It's best however to see them in the wild and there are a few places that the locals know about where you are likely to spot Koalas. They are certainly harder to see than Kangaroos, but if you know where to look, you can see them in the wild.
Koalas can be very ferocious so don't think about trying to cuddle one in the wild! You only need to look at their paws to see why and they get very annoyed if they are woken from their sleep.
For where to see Koalas in Australia and some other fascinating facts visit the Real Australia Travel website (details below) You can also see the video of the Koala Sam drinking water from the fire fighter.
About the Author Jennifer Schellington has nearly half a decade of experience in traveling Australia and has recently become a new Mum. Her site, www.realaustraliatravel.com gives practical information for planning your trip to Australia as well as what to do and where to go. Click here for fascinating facts on Koala Bears
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