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It was always going to be a massive battle against the odds but we all hoped he’d pull through. But sadly, Lewis the koala has had to be put to sleep. Here’s why...
The vision of Lewis escaping from a bushfire but then stumbling into the flames in a confused state will stay with us forever. But this moment caused significant burns to his already fragile body. Burns to any more than 15% of a koalas body carries a guarded prognosis and Lewis sustained more than that amount. Tragically, the tissue damage from his extensive burns was even deeper and worsened in the days since his rescue. This is sadly all too common. The hard decision was then made to end his suffering as his quality of life would have been too poor to ever return to the wild. The team at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital did everything they could...
He’s come to symbolise the struggle all koalas are facing on the east coast in the face of drought, bushfires and climate change. RIP little man. We’ll miss you but your legacy will live on. Hopefully you might just save your species.
