During the peak of the 2019/20 bushfires across our region a number of key koala habitats were absolutely decimated by fire.

Koala Hospital bushfire search and rescue teams spent a number of weeks capturing and bringing in many burnt and dehydrated koala patients. At the same time National Parks and Wildlife service personnel were fighting these fires when two of their team came across a little burnt koala sitting on the side of the track. They wrapped him up and brought him straight to the hospital where staff named him “Baz” after one of the firefighters.

Baz was a juvenile koala who had more than likely recently left his mother’s home range. He was quite badly burnt with partial to full thickness burns on his hands, feet and nose. His fur was singed so he looked like a dark brown ball and he was quite dehydrated.

Ruins Way Baz was immediately treated with fluids and quality nutrition (he was very hungry) and the following day his burns were treated under a general anesthesia. Baz struggled for many weeks to cope, with staff fearing that we may lose him. We placed Baz in home care with one of our very experienced carers who gave him 24 hour, 5-star care. His burns injuries slowly healed, his fur began to regrow and Baz finally began to put on weight.

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