Want to help koalas? Start making mittens

Own a sewing machine? The koalas need you.

Bushfires in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria have left koalas suffering from severe burns, mainly on their paws, caused by contact with burning trees or fleeing across burning grounds.

To protect their wounds, workers at local wildlife care centres apply burn cream and bandages, then protect the koalas’ injured paws with special cotton mittens.

To keep up with the demand, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is asking volunteers to sew these mittens.

“We don’t know how many mittens we need but once the grounds are reopened to the wildlife rescuers, they will begin their black walk,” an IFAW spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

“We just don’t know the extended injuries but we want to have the mittens ready to go and fit over their paws when they come into care to help protect their wounds. The treatment for koala burns is quite similar to treating human burns and koalas are very passive animals so they don’t react like cats or dogs.”

According to IFAW native wildlife campaigner Josey Sharrad, a “constant” supply of these mittens will be required throughout the bushfire season.

“Just like any burns victim — koalas’ dressings need changing daily, meaning a constant supply of mittens is needed by wildlife carers. Some burned koalas can take up to a year to fully recover,” she said in a statement.

A simple mitten pattern is available on the IFAW website here.

“These mittens are simple to make even if you’ve never sewn before,” Sharrad reassured, explaining that the mittens can be made from scraps of clean cotton, like old bed sheets or tea towels.

To date, the number of injured and displaced koalas is unknown. If too many mittens come in, the organization will stockpile them for the future.

"Any injured animals that can be treated are brought straight into care…but because of the severity of the fires and the amount of fires around Victoria and Adelaide, at the moment we don’t know what we’re facing," said IFAW’s Jilea Carney.

"We may not even use them all this year but we know bushfires are a fact of life and we’ll have a stockpile."

It’s a very hot summer in Australia, and the animals are feeling it.

In Adelaide, parched koalas have been accepting a helping hand — and sips from canteens — from Good Samaritans in the area.

"A scorching hot Summers morning and a heat stricken Koala not getting enough moisture from the drying Gum leaves. Many die throughout Summer here in Sth. Australia," Colin Phil Cook wrote on YouTube. “I came across this little chap in a distressed state so I offered a helping hand from my water bottle and he drank…eagerly without hesitation.”

Another YouTube user also offered a drink to a thirsty marsupial:

Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Hospital founder Rae Campbell said her staff is preparing for an influx of new koala patients — and anticipating the spread of bushfires.

"We have vets on call and extra vet nurses and extra volunteers on call and we can take 20 or 30 or more at a time if we need to," she said.

"Please, if you have a little bit of time, or a sewing machine that’s sitting there, run up a pair of mittens."

Completed mittens should be sent to: IFAW, 6 Belmore Street, Surry Hills, NSW, 2010, Australia.

The IFAW team will then distribute the mittens to the carers and clinics that need them most.