--- description: A new video by TIME shows a koala injured in the bushfires that have ravaged Australia returning to the wild after receiving treatment. title: Watch a Koala Return to the Wild After Being Injured in the Australian Bushfires image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcd624d0ae095d6c2/698a096b8fd2eecb67360cfd/NSWBushfire-MichaelaSkovranova-060636-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Australia](/tag/australia/) ## Australia Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Watch a Koala Return to the Wild After Being Injured in the Australian Bushfires by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 12, 2023 7:47 PM CUTPublished: Jan 28, 2020 10:27 PM CUT  A bushfire survivor wakes up post surgery at Port Macquarie Koala Hospital in Australia on Dec.6, 2019. A bushfire survivor wakes up post surgery at Port Macquarie Koala Hospital in Australia on Dec.6, 2019.Michaela Skovranova by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 12, 2023 7:47 PM CUTPublished: Jan 28, 2020 10:27 PM CUT A new video by TIME shows a koala injured in the [bushfires that have ravaged Australia](https://time.com/5758186/australia-bushfire-size/ "undefined") in recent months returning to the wild after receiving treatment at a local rescue hospital. Footage captured by environmental photographer and filmmaker Michaela Skovranova from the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital in December 2019 depicts one of several koalas that were brought in for care as bushfires have raged in Australia since September. Named Thrumster Mal, the injured koala was discovered by a local resident and required surgery to recover from burns incurred on his face and arms that made it difficult for him to climb around. The koala was returned to Lindfield Park Thrumster Street, the site where he was rescued. Caretakers released him in an area where a wildfire that began over six months ago was finally [put out by heavy rainfall](https://www.portnews.com.au/story/6626725/its-finally-out-lindfield-park-road-fire-extinguished/ "undefined"). Bushfires in Australia have caused the deaths of at least 31 people, burned nearly 26 million acres and destroyed more than 2,600 homes. An estimated [1 billion animals](https://time.com/5758186/australia-bushfire-size/ "undefined") are feared to have died in the fires, including as many as [25,000 koalas](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/world/australia/fires-animals.html "undefined"). Thrumster Mal is recovered from his treatment at the [Port Macquarie Koala Hospital](https://www.koalahospital.org.au/about-us/who-we-are "undefined"), which is operated mostly by volunteers and admits between 200 and 250 koalas each year, according to its website. Thrumster Mal’s next steps will involve reintegrating to his original ecosystem. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5773255/australia-bushfire-koala-hospital/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5773255/australia-bushfire-koala-hospital/"},"headline":"Watch a Koala Return to the Wild After Being Injured in the Australian Bushfires","datePublished":"2020-01-28T22:27:19.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T19:47:27.000Z","description":"He is expected to fully recover","url":"https://time.com/5773255/australia-bushfire-koala-hospital/","keywords":["Australia","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcd624d0ae095d6c2/698a096b8fd2eecb67360cfd/NSWBushfire-MichaelaSkovranova-060636-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mahita Gajanan","jobTitle":"Gajanan is an editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcd624d0ae095d6c2/698a096b8fd2eecb67360cfd/NSWBushfire-MichaelaSkovranova-060636-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"NSWBushfire-MichaelaSkovranova-060636 copy","caption":"Bushfire survivor wakes up post surgery. 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