Australia wildfires: $1.5million raised to help injured koalas on Kangaroo Island
Donations from around the world are flooding in to an Australian wildlife park "overwhelmed" with injured koalas during the country's ongoing bushfires.
Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park issued a plea for help with huge numbers of injured koalas and other native species impacted by the event.
So far, around 1.5 million Australian dollars have been pledged to help them through a Go Fund Me page.
More than half of the koalas on Australia's iconic Kangaroo Island are thought to have died as a result of the vast blazes.
The Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park say dedicated volunteers are working round the clock to rescue, rehabilitate and care for all of the animals coming in from the bushfires.
Their fundraiser states: "Kangaroo Island is well known for its thriving koala population. However over 150,000 hectares has been lost due to recent events, this will effect our koala population dramatically.
"We need to pull together to save this Australian icon.
"Once conditions improve and we are granted access to fire ground, a qualified team will be going out to rescue wildlife caught in the fires and relocate those left without a food source or home."
ITV News Correspondent Debi Edward visited the park, where koalas who had been rescued are receiving treatment for burns and smoke inhalation.
On Saturday, she said: "There were 40 koalas rescued and brought to the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park today, unfortunately many did not survive their injuries.
"The park is overwhelmed with the number of injured koala it has been receiving and are currently trying to build more enclosures so they can accommodate as many as they can find.
"Local volunteers and people from the mainland have come to the park to help, to donate and to offer any support they can.
"They’ve had a really exhausting and a bit of a scary day as some of the fires flared up again in the centre of the island and it has everyone on edge."
Heartbreaking pictures from the park show koalas being treated by a team of Army vets and medics, with many having their feet wrapped in bandages after suffering burns.
Experts say at least half of the 60,000 koalas on the island have been killed.
However, fires are continuing to spread on Australia's third largest island and it is now suggested thousands more may have perished.
Donations to the rescue effort at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park can be sent via their fundraising page.