An animal hospital has received more than $1.6 million in donations to help treat injured koalas than have been affected by the New South Wales bushfires.
WATCH: Woman rescues a scorched koala from Australian bushfire
Port Macquarie Koala Hospital started a GoFundMe page last month, with the goal to reach $25,000, but has since raised more than 65 times its initial target.
According to the listing, as many as 350 koalas perished in and around Port Macquarie in November, so the goal is to build a “Koala Ark” to accommodate any surviving koalas.
An update on the crowdfunding page on November 22 confirmed that the initial target of $25,000 had been “well and truly exceeded”.
“We are overwhelmed and humbled with gratitude for the support and care shown by people from all over the world for our efforts to care for koalas now and to try to ensure that we still have koalas for generations to come,” the update stated.
“Our generous donations have meant that we can now extend the original drinking stations project across a wider area of koala habitat in NSW.”
The message then revealed the additional money will help to repopulate koalas in the wild, by establishing a breeding program to ensure the survival of the iconic marsupials.
The overwhelming show of support from the general public comes after a video of a badly-burnt koala being rescued by a grandmother went viral this week.
Toni Doherty was passing through an area near Port Macquarie last week, when she noticed a scared-looking koala wandering into bushlands that were alight.
The fearless grandmother raced into the bush and rescued the scorched marsupial, before dousing him with water to try and put out the flames on his little body.
She then raced the little koala – dubbed Lewis – to the nearby Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where he is recovering from bad burns to his chest and stomach.
“Lewis’s prognosis is guarded as he sustained significant burns however, he is receiving the best possible care,” the GoFundMe updated stated.
