The Australian bushfire disaster has been heart-wrenching. According to ecologists from the University of Sydney, over 480 million animals have perished in just the past three months.
In the face of this tragedy, many people stepped up to help. Among them, the Irwin family made a remarkable effort to save the animals in their homeland. Bindi Irwin, the 21-year-old daughter of the renowned Australian zookeeper, shared on Instagram that she and her team are working tirelessly to protect the remaining wildlife.
Bindi expressed her deep sorrow for the loss of both human lives and wildlife caused by the fires. She reassured that the fire has not reached the Australia Zoo or their properties. Thanks to their efforts, over 90,000 animals have been treated at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, a facility dedicated by her parents in honor of her grandmother.
A video showing kangaroos fleeing from the flames provides a glimpse into the crisis. Filmed near the New South Wales village of Bredbo, it captures the kangaroos’ desperate escape. Mitchell Lyons, who filmed the scene, noted that while the kangaroos may not know which way to run from cars, they instinctively know to flee from the fire.
Wildlife rescue teams managed to save thousands of kangaroos and treat their burned feet. However, experts estimate that millions of animals have died due to the relentless fires. Species such as kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koalas, wombats, and echidnas have all been severely affected. Notably, about 30% of a koala colony on the northeast coast has been lost.
The fires have also caused a severe air quality crisis. The hazardous smoke has affected people even hundreds of miles away. On New Year’s Eve, the Australian Capital Territory reported an alarming air quality index of 4,650, far above the safe level of 200. In Monash, air quality was worse than cities like Kolkata and Delhi, which had readings of only 400. Other areas, like Civic and Florey, also recorded dangerously high levels, with scores of 3,436 and 3,508 respectively.
These numbers signal a troubling start to 2020, highlighting the global impact of the Australian bushfires.
