After months of treatment and recoveries, koalas, who were severely injured in Australia’s devastating 2019-20 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, have finally returned to the wild.
Fourteen koalas have been released into bushland at sites in Victoria’s East Gippsland region, close to where they were originally found in November, with the final group of eight released recently; Xinhua news agency quoted Zoo Victoria as saying in a statement on December 7.
The koalas, which were rescued after the blazes in January this year, underwent multiple surgeries for severe burns and many months of follow-up treatment.
Following extensive treatment, they had also been “rewilding” by building up their strength, fitness and climbing abilities at a large enclosure at Phillip Island Nature Parks and Healesville Sanctuary.
Zoos Victoria senior veterinarian Leanne Wicker said it was special to see the koalas that have been through so much finally return to the wild.
A report commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia revealed nearly 3 billion animals were impacted by last summer’s bushfire crisis, including more than 60,000 koalas.
Wicker said each koala has been fitted with a tracking device on the collar so that specialised animal health and science teams could monitor their progress over the coming months.
Researchers hope this could also provide valuable information on the health, welfare and long-term survival of recovered fire-affected koalas returning to the wild.