Firefighter saves injured koala with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
An injured koala that was not breathing was resuscitated with a kiss of a life from a firefighter on Thursday (Aug 21) night.
The koala had gotten stuck in a tree, climbing it after it had been hit by a car in Langwarrin, a suburb outside Melbourne, according to reports.
When officers from the local fire authority set up a ladder for the rescue, the koala became unconscious and fell out of the tree into a blanket set up on the ground, reported The West Australian.
An officer, who had been trying to resuscitate the furry animal by rubbing its chest, then performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
"Come on, one more breath," the officer is heard saying on a video of the incident.
Koala in good shape
The crew initially thought the koala was dead.
"It appeared that it was passed away in the tree while members of the crew were rescuing it," Captain Sean Curtin of the Langwarrin County Fire Authority told the AAP (Australian Associated Press), reported Nine News.
A spokesman for Wildlife Victoria said the koala, who has been dubbed Sir Chompsalot by the crew that saved it, is doing just fine in a wildlife hospital.
"It's doing okay but it needs to assessed by a vet today. It doesn't have any visible injuries and seems to be in good shape," said the spokesman.
Sources: The West Australian, Nine News
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