Australians scoop up koalas, kangaroos to save them from bushfires
Australians are doing their best to save local animals from overwhelming brushfires by any means possible — including packing them into their cars.
A viral video documents two teen cousins’ efforts to save area wildlife by packing six koalas into their vehicle. “Rescuing Koalas affected by fires on Kangaroo Island with my cousin,” reads the video’s caption. “Little fellas looking a little exhausted.”
The clip pans to the back of the car, where a mom and her child are cuddling. “She’s a mother with a baby,” says one of the two young heroes, who are identified by LADbible as Micah, 19, and Caleb, 18.
“Shoved the mother in the boot because she was a bit aggressive,” he adds.
Farmer Sam McGlone also recently helped save a life from the devastating bushfires. While battling a fire at his own home in Braidwood, New South Wales, on Jan. 2, the 24-year-old came upon an ash-covered baby kangaroo, or joey, Caters reports. The hero scooped up the defenseless creature and saved him from the encroaching flames.
Military vehicles have also been dispatched by the South Australian government to help the wildlife, with 100 army reservists equipped with supplies working on Kangaroo Island to save the animals.
The bushfires, which are visible from space, have killed 25 people and nearly a half-billion animals, wiping out an entire species of marsupials and sparking a global animal pouch-knitting frenzy. Numerous celebrities — including Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Selena Gomez, Pink, Kylie Minogue and Rebel Wilson — have pledged money to help or encouraged others to donate to the cause. Meanwhile, the Australian family of late wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin has helped to save about 90,000 animals during the tragedy.
