Sam, the koala who became famous when it was saved from forest fires in Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires and drank water from its savior while holding his hand, died this month.
Sam was supposed to have surgery for cysts related to urogenital chlamydiosis on August 6. Due to complications with the disease, however, her vets decided it was best to put her to sleep.
Urogenital chlamydiosis is a big problem for koalas. It is a sexually transmitted disease that is affecting 50% of the koala population! Vaccines against the disease have not been successful in combating the disease thus far.
The man who helped save Sam and gave her three bottles of water while holding her hand, David Tree, said: “I’m sobbing like a baby and I am a grown man. She meant so much – she highlighted the plight and vulnerability of Australian wildlife around the world.”
For a world star such as Sam to die from this disease, we can see how vulnerable these animals are and how dangerous the disease is to the species.
For more on this story, read “Sam the koala put to sleep before surgery due to complications”
Image credit 1: FrankMaurer via flickr under a Creative Commons license
Image credit 2: SARhounds via flickr under a Creative Commons license
About Zachary Shahan
