Bob puts his paw around Sam as she recovers from her burns (you can see the bandages on her arms).  (photo: Colleen Wood / Southern Ash Wildlife Centre / REUTERS)

You’ve heard about the bushfires in Australia?  The worst in its history, claiming more than 180 lives.  Amid all that destruction and despair, people have found the following story both heartwarming and hopeful.

The story is about two koalas – Sam and Bob.  A volunteer firefighter named Dave rescued Sam.  You can see the video of the rescue below.  (Skip to the 45 second mark.  The video was taken on a cell phone, so the quality isn’t great and the video is very choppy.)  Part of the reason the rescue is so special is that people are rarely able to get so close to a koala.

At the wildlife shelter, Sam befriended Bob, another koala who was saved a couple days before Sam was.  Sam will take about 7-8 months to recover from her burns, while Bob will take about 4 months.

Colleen Wood, who is caring for both koalas, said they were doing well:  “They keep putting their arms around each other and giving each other hugs.  They really have made friends and it is quite beautiful to see after all this.”

The article.

Thanks to G!  Who, despite the severed alien heads, is really a soft and furry koala at heart.