Thursday's Thoughts - How Much Can a Koala Bear?

I have always had a fascination with Australia. I have longed to visit there since our class did a huge International Fair project in the 6th grade, and my teacher assigned the Australia portion to my team. It seemed to me the most wonderful place imaginable... beautiful, diverse, friendly, honest. I felt an affinity; a pull... at 10 years old I was convinced I belonged there. :) I briefly considered moving to Queensland after my divorce in 2003, and even looked into buying a home on the Sunshine Coast, just outside a town called Caloundra. After all, hasn't Australia always been the ideal place for starting fresh and reinventing one's life? In the end, I decided the time and circumstances weren't right. If I ever move Down Under, I want it to be because I'm running towards something, not running away from something.

Because of this long-standing affection for Australia, and also because it's now my sister's home, I have followed the news of the raging wildfires in Victoria with deep concern. I have been unable to keep my mind off those people who have been injured, lost their homes and possessions, and worst of all, lost their loved ones. My heart aches for them. More than 200 people are confirmed dead, and over 100 are reported missing. Even as some of the fires are brought under control one by one, the news continues to be grim.

Just this morning, I finally watched a video that made me smile. The footage, shot well over a week ago on a cell phone camera, shows CFA volunteer firefighter David Tree giving water to an injured koala he spotted while participating in a backburning operation at Mirboo North.

"I could see she had sore feet and was in trouble, so I pulled over the fire truck. She just plonked herself down, as if to say 'I'm beat'," Tree said.

"I offered her a drink and she drank three bottles.

"The most amazing part was when she grabbed my hand. I will never forget that."



The most remarkable thing about this footage is that, despite their incredibly cute and cuddly appearance, wild koalas are not typically friendly. They have impressive claws, and no qualms about using them. They will also bite. A friend of mine, who once encountered a large koala on his grandfather's property, told me "He made a terrible racket and let us know straightaway that we weren't to come any closer. Koalas would as soon tear your face off as anything." They certainly wouldn't be inclined to approach a human for hugs or a little hand-holding! :)

The thirsty koala, now nicknamed Sam by her rescuers, had second degree burns on her paws, and is being cared for at the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, VIC. Her carers say she is doing well, and has even found a boyfriend named Bob, who follows Sam around, and hugs her from time to time. Bob is also being treated for burned paws. The shelter staff expect both koalas to be returned to the wild in 4-8 months. As busy as they are, wildlife rescuers had anticipated more injured animals than they have seen so far. They fear that means most have not fared as well as Bob and Sam, and officials are now estimating that the number of animals perishing in the fires will reach into the millions.

So, the news from Australia is still grim, and will likely continue so for some time. My prayers go out to everyone effected, not only by the fires, but the floods as well. The reason this particular story touched me, and so many other people around the world, is simply that it inspires hope. It does one's heart good to know that not every story out of terrible circumstances has a tragic ending. With thousands and thousands of goodhearted people serving and supporting one another so generously through this disaster, Australia will most certainly pull through. She always does.