Koala With Four Burned Paws Keeps Showing His Appreciation To Human Rescuers

We need success stories in the midst of disaster, even if they're small successes. These stories show us that we have a chance; that hope isn't completely gone.

Like this one about Billy the koala.

Besides being left without food or water after a fire burns through, many animals are also suffering burns that impede their ability to survive on their own.

Billy was found clinging to a tree in a backyard, all four of his paws burned raw.

His rescuers were from 1300Koalaz who find injured or ill koalas, rehabilitate them, and then release them back into the wild.

Once Billy's burned were treated and bandaged up in "boxing gloves", he was taken to the home of Lucy and Adam Francis, who work with 1300Koalaz.

He can't climb or eat food on his own, making a regular enclosure difficult.

Lucy told The Dodo that they ended up giving him a makeshift home in their kitchen, with a camping mattress and pillows for him to lean against.

These are wild animals, in pain and shock, so it's not uncommon for them to bite their rescuers or cause other trouble.

Right from the start, when he was first introduced to Adam, Billy simply gave the human a sniff and then licked his hand. When they need to give him medicine or see to his dressings, he's calm and patient.

He clearly doesn't enjoy it, but he understands and appreciates how they're helping him.

Billy was found on Christmas Day, too weak to move or feed himself. Since then, he's grown stronger and stronger. Most recently, they've been able to swap the boxing gloves for fingerless mittens, leaving his claws free as he regains the strength to climb.

If you'd like to donate to 1300Koalaz, you can do so through their website, or you can donate to the bushfire relief as a whole through WIRES.

h/t: The Dodo