While bushfires are still raging to some extent albeit inn lesser intensity across New South Wales and Northeast Victoria, there have been hundreds of heroic Australians who have been giving a lot of time and effort to save and salvage from the infernos. The fire personnel and volunteers especially have been toiling day and night fighting fires and saving wildlife. Several individuals have also taken a break from their personal lives to do their bit for the helpless and voiceless animals suffering the most from the devastation.
Photo of the 16th Regiment Emergency Support Force helping koalas is warming hearts everywhere
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Everyone deserves to be called a hero, one particular bit of latest heart-warming news is of the army namely the 16th Regiment of the 9th Brigade’s participation in search and rescue efforts of animals displaced and injured by the conflagration. Besides them, 3000 reserve forces have been working tirelessly for weeks.
Several soldiers also volunteered to work in their off time too and the 16th Regiment Emergency Support Force participation in taking care of little koalas is going viral. The scene of rough and tough soldiers cuddling those little bears is truly a tear-jerking and heart-warming one. It speaks volumes of hope among the ashes and is an example of the resilience of the country down under.
Soldiers traded in their rest time to assist the Cleland Wildlife Park care for displaced koalas
The series of photos were shared on the unit’s Facebook page where Captain Garnett Hall a vet in the Aussie army was deployed on Kangaroo Island along with members of the 9th Brigade to provide assistance to the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park to treat the injured animals.
As you can see in one of the pictures, the soldiers are cuddling the displaced koalas that have been wrapped in blankets. It is feeding time and the soldiers are providing comfort to the animals affected, sick or burned.
The troops were also tasked with building mounts for koalas to climb on in the new park grounds
The troops also helped in building new onsite grounds for the koalas to roam in. In a comment, Captain Garnett Hall said “I think Australia’s native animals, such as koalas, have suffered the most from the bushfires when threatened, their instincts are to climb trees. However, when faced with a fire, this response leads to tragedy. The koalas cannot outrun those flames and, as a result, most that were in the fire-affected areas have died. Some have survived, but they have horrible burns on their hands, feet, and faces.”
The Viral Facebook post got 24,000 reactions with 43,000 shares in just a couple days
The Facebook post read: “16 Regiment Emergency Support Force have been using their rest periods to lend a helping hand at the Cleland Wildlife Park, supporting our furry friends during feeding time and by building climbing mounts inside the park. A great morale boost for our hard-working team in the Adelaide Hills.”