A koala that was saved from a NSW bushfire by a woman using the shirt off her own back has been put down in a koala hospital due to his extensive burns.
Video footage of Toni Doherty saving the koala from the Long Flat bushfire near Port Macquarie went viral a week ago.
The injured marsupial was taken to the Koala Hospital Port Macquarie where his burns were treated and he was named Ellenborough Lewis after Doherty’s grandchild.
But the hospital on Tuesday delivered some bad news for all of those following the koala’s progress.
“Today we made the decision to put Ellenborough Lewis to sleep,” the hospital said on Facebook.
“We placed him under general anaesthesia this morning to assess his burns injuries and change the bandages.
“We recently posted that ‘Burns injuries can get worse before they get better’.
“In Ellenborough Lewis’ case, the burns did get worse, and unfortunately would not have gotten better.”
The koala had suffered burns to his hands, feet, arms and the inside of his legs.
The animal hospital a few days ago stated it didn’t keep koalas alive if that meant them suffering too much pain and discomfort.
