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A video showing Sam the koala being given a drink by firefighter David Tree among the devastation of the bush fires has become a global hit. Pictures of Sam, who turned out to be female, traveled around the globe and featured in major newspapers including The New York Times, London's The Sun, with the video appearing on CNN. A love story between two badly burned koalas has provided some heart-warming relief after days of devastation and the loss of over 180 lives in Victoria's bush fires.
The story of Sam and her new boyfriend Bob emerged after volunteer firefighter Dave Tree used a mobile phone to film the rescue of the bewildered female found cowering in a burned out forest at Mirboo North, 150 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. Photos and a video of Tree, 44, approaching Sam while talking gently to her, and feeding her water from a plastic bottle as she put her burned claw in his cold, wet hand quickly hit video sharing website YouTube, making her an Internet sensation. But it was after reaching a wildlife shelter that Sam met and befriended Bob, who was saved by wildlife workers on Friday, two days before Sam, in Boolarra, about 180km from Melbourne. Tree, who has been a volunteer firefighter for 26 years, said it was extremely rare to get so close to a koala so he asked his colleague Brayden Groen, 20, to film him.
"I yelled out for some water and I sat down with her and tipped the water up. It was in my hand and she reached for the bottle then put her right claw into my left hand which was cold so it must have given her some pain relief Inspiring love story Sam was taken to the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson. Her story was reminiscent of a koala named Lucky
Colleen Wood from the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter that is caring for Sam and Bob said both koalas were doing well while other animals like possums, kangaroos, and wallabies were also starting to emerge from the debris. She said Sam had suffered second degree burns to her paws and would take seven to eight months to recover while Bob had three burned paws with third degree burns and should be well enough to return to the bush in about four months. "They keep putting their arms around each other and giving each other hugs. They really have made friends and it is quite beautiful to see after all this. It's been horrific," said Wood.
"Sam is probably aged between two to four going by her teeth and Bob is about four so they have a muchness with each other." Wood said about 20 koalas had been brought into her shelter in recent days, several of whom had bonded as koalas are known to clump together, but none had garnered the same attention as the new Internet star Sam. Tree, a volunteer with the Country Fire Authority Victoria, has visited Sam since her rescue and was delighted to "They've really taken a shine to each other as they are both burned and share the same burned smell," he said. "My heart goes out to the people in these fires and this was so innocent so people have used this to distract them Reuters -- update -- Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter staffer Lynn Raymond said today that the sanctuary's most famous patient, Sam the koala, is "doing very, very well."
Sam and her friend Bob, another koala who was injured in the fires, have their burned paws soothed with salve every few hours. They're no longer receiving painkillers, as they were when they were first brought to the sanctuary, but are still on antibiotics. And the two are inseparable, according to the Associated Press: "Bob is her protector -- as soon as she is moved, he's on the move, too. It really looks like he's making sure she's OK," Raymond said from the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, 100 miles (170 kilometers) east of Melbourne in Victoria state, where the deadly fires continue to burn. "They're good company for each other." The sanctuary's phone has been ringing off the hook with requests for information on the koalas' condition. "It's insane," said Raymond. "[But] everybody has been absolutely wonderful." David Tree, the volunteer firefighter who gave Sam a drink of water in the now-iconic photograph of her rescue, says he plans to donate his 11-year-old daughter's canary cage to the needy koala. ("We'll worry about the canary later," he said of the cage's current resident.) Other tales of the horrific effects of the fires on Australia's wildlife have begun to emerge -- a wallaby joey with "crispy fried ears" (Wildlife Victoria president Jon Rowdon's description), a turtle whose shell nearly melted from the heat -- and rescuers have set up vaporizing tents for the animals suffering from smoke inhalation. -- update --
THE firefighter who gave an injured koala a drink of water during the Victoria fires will be recognised by an animal rights group. "Sam" the koala was spotted by Victorian volunteer firefighter David Tree moving around on scorched paws. Mr Tree crouched down and offered the furry marsupial a gulp from his water bottle, which she accepted, A photo and video of the moment have been broadcast around the world. Now Mr Tree's efforts have earned him recognition from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia-Pacific. The organisation announced Mr Tree would receive the Hero to Animals Award for the rescue, Nearby fires destroyed 30 houses, cars and other property before being contained on February 7. No one was killed in those fires, though 181 people have died in other blazes in the state, "This tragedy has shown the best and worst in people," PETA director Jason Baker said. "The compassion that David Tree showed in caring for Sam is an inspiration to others throughout the community and beyond." PETA has also written to the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions urging it to pursue animal cruelty charges after "Because scores of animals weren't as lucky as Sam, PETA is strongly urging the prosecutor to Sam is doing well after being taken into the care of the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, east of Melbourne, where fires continue to burn.
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