According to CNN, rescuers at Port Macquarie Koala Hospital euthanized the 14-year-old koala – known as Ellenborough Lewis, or Lewis for short – after veterinarians determined that his condition wasn't improving.
"We recently posted that 'burns (sic) injuries can get worse before they get better,'" the hospital wrote on its Facebook page. "In Ellenborough Lewis's case, the burns did get worse, and unfortunately would not have gotten better."
Today we made the decision to put Ellenborough Lewis to sleep. We placed him under general anaesthesia this morning to...
Posted by Koala Hospital Port Macquarie on Monday, November 25, 2019
The sad update came one week after Toni Doherty saved the marsupial from a massive blaze near Long Flat, CNN reported. In a now-viral video shared by Nine News Australia, the woman whisks the koala away from the flames before pouring cool water on the injured animal.
By Tuesday, the clip, shared on Nine News' Facebook page, had been viewed more than 1.8 million times.
Koala Rescue in the NSW BushfiresAnother day, another Koala rescue.
Posted by 9 News Sydney on Monday, November 18, 2019
In a Facebook post last week, the Koala Hospital hailed Doherty as a hero.
"She is an absolute legend for capturing this male koala who was so disorientated by the flames and unfortunately was burnt further as he headed back into the active fire," the post read.
Meet Lewis the koala, rescued from a bushfire yesterday near Long Flat .... he’s been bandaged up and is going ok today. @9NewsSyd 🐨❤️ pic.twitter.com/yY02up1noY
— Lizzie Pearl (@lizziepearl) November 19, 2019
TONIGHT: The heroic lady, who bared all to save a burning Koala on the NSW Mid-North Coast is reunited with him. @lizziepearl has her incredible story of bravery, which has given Lewis a chance at life. #9News at 6.00pm! pic.twitter.com/p3sFJQG0sk
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) November 20, 2019
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