All of the enclosures are full of rescued koalas at the Lismore Friends of the Koala (FoK) sanctuary.

FoK president Ros Irwin said all the koalas being rescued, regardless of whether as a result of the fires, are “dehydrated at the least”.  

“All of our runs are full - as are the hospitals at Port Macquarie, Currumbin and the Australia Zoo,” she said.

“‘On top of the fires, this is the peak season for koalas to be on the move, and we are still responding to rescue koalas that have been hit by cars or attacked by dogs.”

In regard to the fires, Ros said that Friends of the Koala had been unprepared for bushfires and they are presently working with a wide range of people including the RFS, National Parks & Wildlife, Forestry and other local wildlife organisations.

“It’s about undertaking the required fire awareness training so that they can get in to rescue koalas on the firegrounds,” she said.

“We have been working with Forestry, who are having blinky drinkers or watering stations produced, to get some for this area. 

“We know that many people understandably are really wanting to do something for wildlife - as are we – but given the catastrophic fires that have burnt out nearly 150,000 hectares of forests, National Parks and bush in our area even before the recent fires in the Lismore LGA - in our opinion it is too dangerous now to go onto any of the firegrounds.”

Ros said that whilst some people have been taking in water and branches of eucalypts for koalas, it’s best not to do that until the RFS has given the all-clear. 

Even then, whilst providing water is important, placing branches on the ground will probably make people feel good, but koalas do not eat on the ground and are so selective as to which individual leaf they choose that it isn’t particularly helpful.

For more information, visit the FoK website https://www.friendsofthekoala.org/

Read stories from Tuntable community residents Sarah Lonie, Nerelle Draisma, Drew Aird and Maggie Bourne as they evacuated; what the options are for where to go with your family and animals if you evacuate; what's needed in the way of supplies; and the link to the webcam on upper Tuntable Falls Road: Nimbin residents flee as "the wettest rainforest in Northern NSW is burning"