Stephen Irwin, who became famous from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, was a wildlife expert and environmentalist who died in 2006. Yet, his family is now continuing his legacy of rescuing wildlife in danger.
Terri Irwin, Steve Irwin's widow and owner of Australia Zoo, along with their son, Robert Irwin, spoke with "Anderson Cooper Full Circle" about the impact Australia's devastating wildfires are having on the country's vulnerable animals. At the same time and Bindi Irwin (the late daughter of Steve Irwin) assured people on social media that she and her family are doing everything in their power to help the animals in need.
More specifically, the Wildlife Hospital associated with the zoo has now helped over 90,000 injured animals.
Bindi also shared a photo of a burnt possum that was treated at the Wildlife Hospital. Unfortunately, the poor animal didn’t make it.
Almost a third of koalas in the New South Wales state may have been killed in bushfires that have been burning out of control. On Kangaroo Island in South Australia, 25,000 koalas were killed in just one fire event, according to Terri.
But the beloved fluffy marsupials are not the only animals severely threatened by the quickly moving fires.
Like koalas, the gray-headed flying fox is another vulnerable species. The animals, which are native to Australia, escaped from earlier fires and droughts in Queensland to New South Wales, where they are now once again threatened by the fire.
As the terrifying flames continue to rage on, the numbers coming from the officials truly show the huge damage and loss inflicted on Australia. It's estimated that 6,300,000 hectares were burnt, along with 2,500 buildings (including over 1,300 houses). As of January 4th, 2020, 24 people perished in the fires, and six others are reported missing in the state of Victoria.
Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin) on
Meanwhile, celebrities used their Golden Globes speeches to bring attention to Australia bushfires:
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