Australian Bushfires Injure Hundreds of Koalas - Mittens Needed!

There have been big fires in South Australia and Victoria (winter in the northern hemisphere, summer in the southern), and koalas often have no escape and no hope but to cling to trees, even as the trees burn.

Thus, koalas, if they survive and are rescued, can end up in rescue centers with badly burned paws. Wildlife centers have put out a call asking for volunteers who can sew or knit to make koala mittens - covers for their heavily-bandaged paws, to protect the bandages.

Story here -

Koalas being treated for burned paws after recent bushfires in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales are desperately in need of cotton mittens, an animal care group says.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has asked volunteers to make up the paw protectors which are used to put over bandages.

"The treatment for burns in a koala is very similar to the treatment of burns in a human being," the organisation's Jilea Carney said.

"It's a regime of infection control, applying burns cream, bandages."

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If you're in Australia and can sew, or can sew and mail? and are interested.. printable mitten pattern can be found here.

This is a charitable org that runs an emergency phone line and rescue centers, so people can call in if they find injured wildlife, and the place coordinates a volunteer response and rescue. Hope that's ok to post. I've no affiliation with any of the above save that I've donated to previous bushfire campaigns.

chompers said:

Oh, those poor animals.

I'm a bit confused about what to do with the woolen tie. Sew one end on while the other end is dangling? Or sew it into the fabric so that you pull on the end to tighten like a pouch?

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I'm only guessing from the photos, but I'd think to sew just the center of the piece of yarn, or like a 2/3 mark (with the longer section toward the other side of the mitten), to where the X is, so it can wrap 'round the mitten and be tied on to whatever looseness would work for that paw.

If you sewed one end on I'd think it'd have to be taped shut and it looks like it's tied?

As Helix notes, fires are ongoing, and even after they've stopped, koalas are often found for a good while afterward, as volunteers walk through the burned-out areas looking for animals in need of care.

They anticipate hundreds more coming in to rescue centers. Koalas are very docile when being helped, though burns are painful just like to people.

This is a pic of Jeremy the koala at a rescue center with his paws in cups of something hopefully soothing.

Here's a pic of a different koala resting with colourful homemade mittens on her back paws.

I know; it's terrible what's happening, but it's good at least people help.

The above two places - the Int'l Fund and Wildlife Victoria are two of several that do. There's an Adelaide Koala hospital and others, and pretty much all operate on donations, and cost a lot to keep running in normal times, nevermind emergencies like bushfire situations.