After being rescued and cared for by Lismore's Friends of the Koala (FoK), Ember the koala hasn't just survived the devastation of the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires, she has gone on to thrive in the wild - and has been spotted with a joey.

Ember, was originally rescued in November 2019 by FoK carer and former FoK president Ros Irwin.

"Ember was found when we were walking on the burnt ground in Whiporie, after devastating fires swept through the area," Ros said.

"Ember was an 18-month old koala, so badly injured that the vets didn’t think she’d make it.

"She was severely dehydrated and her fur was black, coated in soot and badly singed. Her lungs were congested from smoke inhalation, and she had sustained significant burns to her rump and all four paws.

"She was given immediate pain relief, fresh leaf, and glucose water before being transported to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital in Queensland for emergency treatment."

Despite an initially worrying prognosis, Ember’s health improved and she was transferred to Friends of the Koala where she made a full recovery under the expert hands of the IFAW-sponsored vet team.

Given the length of her rehabilitation and the damage caused by the fire to her claws, the specialist vet team transferred her to a soft release site where they could monitor her ability to climb and forage.

Ember passed with flying colours and was released back into the wild in April 2020. 

Then,18 months later, in the same area where she was released, Ember has been spotted with a joey of her own.

The organisation International Foundation for Animal Welfare (IFAW) works with Fok and sponsored vet nurse Marley Christian was heartened by the news.

“So many koalas were lost in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, and we honestly thought Ember would be another casualty," she said.

IFAW Wildlife Campaigner Josey Sharrad said Ember’s story gives us hope as koalas in New South Wales face the threat of extinction by 2050. 

“This is a real success story,” Ms Sharrad said. 

"Ember was touch and go for a while but to see her thriving in the wild with a joey of her own now is really incredible.

"It highlights the importance of our work with Friends of the Koala and our shared belief that every individual koala rescued and rehabilitated counts towards the future of the species."