Australian Army Deployed to Lend a Helping Hand to Support Endangered Koalas at Wildlife Park

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For the men and women of the 16th Regiment Emergency Support Force of the Australian Army, feeding and giving medicine to wildlife isn’t part of their normal job description. The 2019–2020 bushfires have devastated much of the koala habitat in the South and East of the country, and the endangered koalas need all the help they can get.

That’s why these soldiers, who have been fighting fires in the Adelaide Hills, stepped up and volunteered at the nearby Cleland Wildlife Park, which “is home to some of South Australia’s most iconic inhabitants,” including kangaroos, wombats, and of course, koalas.

Pictures of the soldiers in uniform feeding recovering koalas and building new climbing structures for the animals won the hearts of many Australians and people around the world concerned about the fate of one of the bushfires’ biggest victims.

While the koalas benefited from the reservists’ attention, a Facebook post from the Army noted that the weary soldiers got a lot out of the interaction as well. The post explained that spending quality time with the recovering animals was “a great morale boost for our hard working team in the Adelaide Hills.”

With tens of thousands of likes and shares, it was clear that people all over the world appreciated seeing the soldiers caring for the dehydrated koalas and building new habitat to replace what was lost in the fires.

It was touching to see grown adults cradling koalas and carefully feeding them with syringes, as one user commented: “The guy in the forefront of the pic..that is the face and look of a father..who has looked after babies.. [you] cannot fake that look...love and compassion for the baby in his arms..just like his own babies.”

The bushfire crisis has stretched on for months, and the Australian Defence Force called up all its reserves to help fight the fire, clear the burnt-out areas, and assure safe passage for people trapped by the blaze. Captain Garnet Hall from the Australian Army’s 13th Brigade, a veterinarian in civilian life, was recognized for providing aid to injured koalas, other wildlife, and farm animals on Kangaroo Island.

The island, off the southern coast of mainland Australia, was an important disease-free refuge for koalas until it was burned by devastating fires in January 2020. Per the BBC, it is believed that about half of the 50,000 koalas on the island have perished in the blaze.

Captain Hall explained to Bored Panda, “When threatened, their instincts are to climb trees. However, when faced with a fire, this response leads to tragedy.”

An injured koala being treated for burns by a vet at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park in January 2020 ©Getty Images | PETER PARKS

“The koalas cannot outrun those flames and, as a result, most that were in the fire-affected areas have died,” Hall adds. “Some have survived, but they have horrible burns on their hands, feet, and faces.”

Working at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, Capt. Hall has drawn on the resources of his unit to help treat as many animals as possible in these extraordinary circumstances.

Injured and displaced koalas rescued on Kangaroo Island sleeping in makeshift basket beds ©Getty Images | PETER PARKS

Hall was helped by “private soldiers who were attached to the veterinary team as drivers,” as he said in a YouTube video for the Australian Army. “I’ve actually been using them as veterinary assistants and they’ve been so helpful, just to have an extra set of hands to hold animals and help me treat their wounds.”

Part of the appeal for the soldiers in this new role is getting to do something outside of their usual duties. “It’s completely different to their [civilian] day jobs,” he adds. “It’s actually completely different even to their Army jobs, so it’s like a third dimension to their profession.”