Significant animal toll in SA bushfire

Authorities say the number of animals killed in the Adelaide Hills bushfire is likely to be significant.

It's too early to tell how many animals perished in the Adelaide Hills bushfire but the number will be significant, authorities say.

The Country Fire Service declared on Thursday the blaze had been fully contained after destroying 27 homes, burning through almost 13,000 hectares and injuring 134 people over six days.

Crews are still monitoring hot spots, and some roads into the fire zone remain closed, making it impossible for authorities to quantify the number of animals lost in the blaze.

With a large number of hobby farms damaged in the fire, farmers have begun the grim task of euthanasing injured animals with the assistance of agencies.

Biosecurity SA executive director Will Zacharin says the agency is co-ordinating wildlife rescue efforts with the RSPCA and veterinary emergency teams.

He says there's likely to have been a large number of wild animals killed.

"I would have thought there'd be a significant number that have perished," he told AAP on Friday.

"Certainly, koalas don't move that fast. We haven't seen huge numbers out on the firegrounds yet ... but some of it is really inaccessible."

The International Fund for Animal Welfare has asked volunteers to sew cotton mittens for koalas whose paws were burnt in the fire.

Many people had also donated blankets and fodder for animals, Mr Zacharin said.

The agency is also helping landowners access replacement fodder for their livestock.

While many evacuees took their dogs and cats with them to safety, not all pets escaped the blaze.

About 40 dogs and cats were killed after the fire destroyed large parts of the Tea Tree Gully Boarding Kennels and Cattery in the Adelaide foothills.

The kennels' devastated owners said they were unable to take any of the animals with them when they were forced to flee their home, which was also destroyed in the blaze.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world