In October 2019, caregivers at Australian Reptile Park in Somersby, New South Wales, north of Sydney, shared a video about their hands-on care of a baby koala named Elsa. Her mother developed severe mastitis and was unable to nurse. This Caters Clip shares baby koala Elsa’s good health at seven months old.

Her mother Irene, “is currently in veterinary care and is expected to make a full recovery – while baby Elsa is loving life with her human mum until the pair can be reunited.”

In recent months, Australian Reptile Park staff have been active in rescuing native wildlife around the Aussie Ark wildlife sanctuary in the Barrington Tops, now suffering from the drought and unprecedented wildfires that are consuming New South Wales and Queensland. From The New York Times:

About 87 percent of Australia’s wildlife is endemic to the country, which means it can only be found on this island continent, and a great many of those species have populations living in the regions now being obliterated by the fires.

Ecologists at the University of Sydney have estimated that this year’s fire season has either killed or badly injured 480 million animals, including birds, mammals and reptiles. That number doesn’t include insects, frogs or bats.

In response, Australian Reptile Park partnered with Aussie Ark and Global Wildlife Conservation to raise money to help wildlife, critical refuge habitats, and communities that are affected. Donations will also support bush fire prevention and rehabilitation, as well as species and habitat recovery. If you’d like to help, you can donate at AussieArk.org.au.

Learn more about koalas with this video: Koalas 101 and koala conservation efforts.

Plus, see a joey move in its mother’s pouch at the Taipei Zoo and more videos in Australia.