- Joined
- Mar 11, 2006
- Messages
- 4,739
- Reaction score
- 0
Sam the koala put down
Sam the koala put down
Sam the koala, the Black Saturday survivor made famous in a photo showing it drinking from a firefighter's water bottle, has died after risky surgery.
The female marsupial had developed abdominal cysts due to a disease called urogenital chlamydiosis, which affects up to 50 percent of Australia's koala population.
A spokeswoman for the animal shelter where four-year-old Sam was being cared for confirmed the koala had been put down this afternoon.
"Dr John Butler of the Morwell Vet Clinic operated on Sam shortly after 1pm today and discovered that Sam had severe changes in her urinary and reproductive tract that was non-operable and unfortunately had to put Sam to sleep," the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter said in a statement.
"The changes were consistent with the Chlamydia infection.
"It was so severe that there was no possible way to be able to manage her pain."
Staff at the wildlife centre were devastated by the koala's death, the statement said.
Urogenital chlamydiosis can cause infertility, urinary tract infections and blindness and can be life-threatening.
The shelter had earlier warned that the prognosis for surviving the operation was not good.
Sam suffered second- and third-degree burns to her paws in the February fires.
*my note* Goodbye Sam. You have made famous all over the world and you are much loved by everyone. No more suffering and RIP sweety bear
Other topic is here http://www.alldeaf.com/our-pets/62030-koala-fireman.html
Sam the koala put down
Sam the koala, the Black Saturday survivor made famous in a photo showing it drinking from a firefighter's water bottle, has died after risky surgery.
The female marsupial had developed abdominal cysts due to a disease called urogenital chlamydiosis, which affects up to 50 percent of Australia's koala population.
A spokeswoman for the animal shelter where four-year-old Sam was being cared for confirmed the koala had been put down this afternoon.
"Dr John Butler of the Morwell Vet Clinic operated on Sam shortly after 1pm today and discovered that Sam had severe changes in her urinary and reproductive tract that was non-operable and unfortunately had to put Sam to sleep," the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter said in a statement.
"The changes were consistent with the Chlamydia infection.
"It was so severe that there was no possible way to be able to manage her pain."
Staff at the wildlife centre were devastated by the koala's death, the statement said.
Urogenital chlamydiosis can cause infertility, urinary tract infections and blindness and can be life-threatening.
The shelter had earlier warned that the prognosis for surviving the operation was not good.
Sam suffered second- and third-degree burns to her paws in the February fires.
*my note* Goodbye Sam. You have made famous all over the world and you are much loved by everyone. No more suffering and RIP sweety bear
Other topic is here http://www.alldeaf.com/our-pets/62030-koala-fireman.html
I remember reading about and seeing pictures of her back when that happened. Glad, though, that she's not in pain any longer.
