David Tree noticed the koala moving gingerly on scorched paws as his fire patrol passed. The animal stopped when it saw Tree.
"It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery," Tree said yesterday.
"I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally.
"He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby."
The team called animal welfare officers to pick up the koala Sunday, the day after deadly firestorms swept southern Victoria state.
Koalas are rather grumpy with a loud growl. They rarely comes down from trees and don't like walking. The marsupial is especially vulnerable in wildfires because they move slowly on the ground.
The wildfires sent countless wombats and other native species fleeing parks and forests. One resident reported seeing kangaroos bouncing down the road with flames at their backs.
The fires razed farmland, killing or panicking sheep and cattle. TV footage showed cows running down the main street of a smoke-filled town.
Tree said he found the koala in a burned-out forest near Mirboo North, 150 km east of Melbourne, Victoria's capital.
Koalas normally drink almost no water because they get fluids from leaves.
After Tree's crew moved on, animal welfare officials came by. The koala was in pain but recovering with antibiotics, Jenny Shaw of the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter said.
"She is lovely -- very docile -- and she has already got an admirer. A male koala keeps putting his arms around her."
"It was amazing, he turned around, sat on his bum and sort of looked at me with (a look) like, put me out of my misery," Tree said yesterday.
"I yelled out for a bottle of water. I unscrewed the bottle, tipped it up on his lips and he just took it naturally.
"He kept reaching for the bottle, almost like a baby."
The team called animal welfare officers to pick up the koala Sunday, the day after deadly firestorms swept southern Victoria state.
Koalas are rather grumpy with a loud growl. They rarely comes down from trees and don't like walking. The marsupial is especially vulnerable in wildfires because they move slowly on the ground.
The wildfires sent countless wombats and other native species fleeing parks and forests. One resident reported seeing kangaroos bouncing down the road with flames at their backs.
The fires razed farmland, killing or panicking sheep and cattle. TV footage showed cows running down the main street of a smoke-filled town.
Tree said he found the koala in a burned-out forest near Mirboo North, 150 km east of Melbourne, Victoria's capital.
Koalas normally drink almost no water because they get fluids from leaves.
After Tree's crew moved on, animal welfare officials came by. The koala was in pain but recovering with antibiotics, Jenny Shaw of the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter said.
"She is lovely -- very docile -- and she has already got an admirer. A male koala keeps putting his arms around her."
This feel good moment has been brought to you by the adventures of Mad Mal and Hobbes (and Calvin too!!).
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