Original title: heartbreak! More than 350 koalas have been killed in Australian forest fires
A large number of wild koalas have been killed in recent forest fires in Australia. According to a koala hospital in New South Wales, the forest fire may have killed more than 350 koalas, a 'national disaster' for Australia.
According to reports from AFP, NHK of Japan and Al Jazeera TV of Qatar, several forest fires have occurred in coastal areas of New South Wales in eastern Australia since late October. Thousands of square kilometers of forest including koala habitat have been engulfed by the fires.
Many of the wild koalas living in the forest have also been involved in the fire. According to a local koala special hospital, more than 350 koalas may have died.
Most koalas would climb to the top of the tree and huddle up in a fire, which, if not very big, would only scorch their fur, the dean said. But 65% of koala's water intake comes from leaves, so koala that can't eat leaves in a few days will die of severe dehydration.
Local rescue teams rescued two dehydrated koalas from the fire on Tuesday, including a 5-kg-old cub who was found to be dehydrated.
When it was sent to the hospital, it shrank into a small ball, hardly moving, but after adding water, the little guy has recovered.
Rescue teams also found four other koalas around the fire, and will continue to carry out rescue work.
Due to the impact of residential development and forest fires, the number of koalas in Australia has been declining in recent years. The head of the koala special hospital said: 'this forest fire caused a considerable number of Koala deaths, which is really a national tragedy'.