Koala bears wounded during Australian bushfires re-released into forests again

Numerous koala bears who were injured in bushfires that wreaked havoc in Australia last year have been re-released into forests.

They were being treated at the world's only hospitals for koala bears, located in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie.

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26 koalas have returned to their habitat at the Lake Innes Nature Reserve in New South Wales, which is on the state's Tasman Sea coast some 235 km north of Newcastle.

These marsupials include Anwen, a female whose photos went viral due to the severe nature of her burns.

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Though the Lake Innes area was badly damaged in the fires, higher-than-expected amounts of rainfall made it possible to release the animals sooner than planned.

Hospital employees carefully considered a mix of koala ages and sexes in order to make for a well-rounded community.

According to Phillipa Harrison, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, ''while we are all facing difficult and uncertain times due to coronavirus pandemic, this incredible story of hope serves as a reminder of the resilience of our incredible flora and fauna and people."