A baby koala born at Zoo Miami was named “Hope” to honor the victims of the Australian bushfires.
The baby koala was actually born in May 2019 and recently came out of its mother’s pouch.
Watch to learn more about it below!
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Video credit: Rumble
Miami zoo officials also donated money to save animals who suffered from wildfires. A post on the zoo’s official Instagram page indicates a $10,000 donation was being made to the Zoos Victoria Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund.
The post read: ‘’Can’t get enough of this sweet face! Although you may have heard the term “koala bear” before, Hope, like other fellow koalas, is in fact not a bear, but a marsupial.
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‘’Many of Hope’s cousins in Australia are still facing the devastation of the bushfires. Join us in supporting Zoos Victoria’s Emergency Wildlife Fund by making a donation to the Zoo Miami Conservation Fund.’’
The dangerous spring blazes have burnt through almost two million hectares in New South Wales and Queensland alone. Many animals are strong but others, unfortunately, don’t survive.
Blazes have caused so much damage to homes in the outer suburbs and thick plumes of smoke have blanketed the urban center. A total of 28 people across Australia have died this fire period, including several volunteer firefighters.
The military has sent troops, ships and aircraft to the region to help relocation and firefighting efforts. An estimated 25,000 koalas were killed when flames destroyed Kangaroo Island in the state of South Australia.
Australia has always had bushfires but this season has been a lot worse than normal. The deadliest bushfire disaster of Australia was “Black Saturday” in February 2009, when 180 people died in Victoria. According to scientists, Australia fires are the indication of the planet’s future.
“This is what you can expect to happen … at an average of 3C [above pre-industrial levels],” said Richard Betts, professor of geography at Exeter University. “We are seeing a sign of what would be normal conditions in a 3C world. It tells us what the future world might look like. This really brings home what climate change means.”
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