Billy The Koala Injured In The Australian Fires Tragically Died Despite Showing Signs Of Recovery
Tags: opinion
Billy the Koala went through a rough period in his short life. After getting injured in the Australian bushfires, he was found wanting help from any and everyone. And when rescue workers finally saw him clinging to a tree in Adelaide, they brought him down to a loud cry and spontaneous snuggling. Help had finally arrived, and it seemed like he was on the road to recovery when he succumbed to his injuries, leaving his caretakers broken-hearted.
After treatment, Billy was finally adopted by Adam and Lucy Francis who were involved with 1300Koalaz. This organization was all for rescuing and rehabilitating koalas that were injured. With the bushfire spreading across major tracts of the country and killing a billion animals in the hellfire, their job had gotten exceedingly difficult. And Billy the Koala was one of the few animals that had actually survived this catastrophe. His paws had burnt quite badly, and the road to recovery was long and tedious.
Read: This Tortoise Received The World’s First 3D Printed Shell After Losing It’s Shell In Fire
Lucy Francis mentioned that Billy’s paws were so damaged that the normal carriers which usually are kept for koalas wouldn’t work for him. So they made a makeshift one and stationed him near their kitchen so they could keep a keen eye on him. They also used pillows for him so that he could settle himself comfortably and not jeopardize his recovery.
While the couple always had the fear that a big koala such as Billy might be a bit of hassle for them, the koala proved otherwise. Although he was quite depressed after his entire ordeal, he was still one of the gentlest beings that one would come across.
Interestingly, Billy being a wild koala could have easily bitten into Adam Francis’s hands. But all he did was sniff and lick it with immense gentleness. He was an animal of the wild, but he displayed acute reason and sense.
Caring for him proved to be quite an interesting affair for the couple. They decided that they would speak to him in hushed tones while feeding him medicines. They thought that he might reflexively hit back, but as they stroked his fur he relaxed into them and let them care for him.
Billy the koala knew that those people meant well. So while he did hate consuming medicines, he allowed them to feed him tablets or pills, or apply ointments on his wounds. He trusted these humans enough to know that they wouldn’t hurt him.
Read: This Tortoise Received The World’s First 3D Printed Shell After Losing It’s Shell In Fire
When Billy the koala first came into their lives, he was extraordinarily weak. To a point where he needed help being fed and taken care of. While volunteers and his caregivers were hopeful that Billy would recover from his injuries, his tiny body wasn’t able to handle the injuries. And when the entire world was watching his recovery, he left a void in the hearts of all that cared for him.
The caretakers wrote a heartfelt post about him where they spoke about how Billy was a bright spark in their life, and they would forever keep him in their memories. Sympathies and condolences came from the entire world, where people started sending in their own prayers while thanking the caregivers for not giving up until the last moment.
It was a sad day at the Francis household, despite their best efforts to save Billy the koala.
All images: Lucy Francis & 1300Koalaz
Written by: Mayukh Saha
Hey! I am Mayukh. I help people and websites with content, videos, design, and social media management. I am an avid traveler and I started living as a digital nomad in Europe since 2019. I am currently working on www.noetbook.com - a creative media company. You can reach out to me anytime: justmayukh@gmail.
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