The Irwins Have Rescued 90,000 Animals As Australia's Wildfires Rage On
It is estimated that roughly half a billion animals have been killed in the wildfires.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 06 Jan 2020, 05:23 PM
The legacy of the late Steve Irwin lives on in his family as they fight to rescue animals amidst Australia's three-month long wildfires
Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late host of 'Crocodile Hunter', made the announcement on her Instagram last week after her family-owned Australia Zoo's Wildlife Hospital reached a milestone of saving 90,000 animals.
According to WRAL, most of the animals rescued at the hospital were those injured in Australia's wildfires that have been raging since September 2019.
An orphaned platypus named Ollie was the 90,000th patient Wildlife Hospital received, revealed Bindi's brother, Robert Irwin, on Instagram last Thursday, 2 January.
Bindi said the hospital is busier than ever and assured the public that her family will do whatever it takes to save as many animals as they can
"With so many devastating fires within Australia, my heart breaks for the people and wildlife who have lost so much," Bindi wrote in the caption of an Instagram post, which shows her posing with a picture of Steve and his mother holding a crocodile.
The 21-year-old conservationist also confirmed that Australia Zoo and its conservation properties, located 150km away from Gold Coast, are safe from the wildfires.
"My parents dedicated our Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital to my beautiful grandmother. We will continue to honour her by being Wildlife Warriors and saving as many lives as we can."
It is estimated that about half a billion animals have perished due to the wildfires that have engulfed the continent over the few past months
Ecologists from the University of Sydney said roughly 480 million mammals, birds, and reptiles have died in the wildfires, reported CNBC.
However, the experts predict that the actual number of animal deaths is likely to be higher.
News.com.au reported on Friday, 3 January, that the fires have killed 24 people, destroyed 2,000 homes, and burned 12 million acres of land. To put it into perspective, the state of Pahang is 8.8 million acres in size.
