Thanks to donations and volunteer work, organizations have been able to rescue and begin rehabilitating countless animals from the deadly bushfires in Australia.
Yet the billions of animals that died and those still dying looms over every happy story of animals being saved.
Amidst the countless videos of injured and burned animals that have been posted during the fires, one heartbreaking photo that a father posted of his son has gone viral.
Australian wildlife expert Tim Faulkner, famed for hosting Australian TV ABC's Outback Adventures shared a heartbreaking encounter that he and his family experienced in the wake of the fires. According to Yahoo News Australia, the Faulkner family found what appeared to be a recently deceased wallaby while on a trip to Barrington Tops in New South Wales.
The family began to cry when Faulkner's 7-year-old son, Matthew, decided that he wanted to hold the animal to "look after it", Faulkner explained. Faulkner captured the moment and then posted the sad photo along with others on Facebook.
He captioned the powerful photo:
"Everything is dying…"
"I went out to provide food drops and check our cameras for the endangered Brush-tailed rock-wallaby, I ended up feeling like I was showing my little boy his future."
"He cradled the dead wallaby, found near a muddy puddle of water. The smoke plumes lifting from the wild fire in the backdrop and he said, 'They're all dying aren't they Dad?' I told him it was his job to save the world, it was the best I could do. He accepted."
"If this photo doesn't speak a thousand words I don't know what else will."
"Almost all wild Brush-tailed rock-wallaby habitat has burnt or is at imminent risk. They are starving, dehydrated, exposed to predators, and dying."
The Faulkner family captured photos of wallabies eating the food they put out for them.
Tim Faulkner/Facebook
Faulkner continued in his Facebook post:
"A second wallaby was found on the road after it had been forced to the roads fleeing fires."
Tim Faulkner/Facebook
He concluded by saying:
"I'm so proud of my amazing family for dropping everything to help where we can, they are my heroes."
Tim Faulkner/Facebook
He also urged people who were touched by the image to donate to Aussie Ark.
"Support our cause, donate to Aussie Ark."
Founded in 2011, Aussie Ark is a non-profit organization that focuses on native Australian wildlife conservation. According to their website, their flora and fauna rich sanctuaries house 50 species of mammals, 42 species of reptiles, 18 species of frog, and 278 species of birds.
By providing protected habitats to vulnerable species, they have had great success in raising populations of animals and reintroducing them back into the wild.
You can donate to Aussie Ark here.
People expressed their grief for the animals that have been killed.
Kerrie Jones/Facebook
Vikki Coates/Facebook
Donna Yetman DeJardine/Facebook
Janet Hill/Facebook
Though the situation is dire, people were able to express hope for the future.
Rosario Ayela Gadea/Facebook
Glenda Porta/Facebook
KT Mitchell
Mary Gorgens/Facebook
Faulkner also managed to show the bright side of their conservation efforts.
Despite the tragic circumstances, the family successfully fed and observed wallabies that are still living in the area.
But sometimes, the wisdom imparted by friends isn't always helpful or relevant to the situation.
Curious to hear from strangers online who could do without specific knowledge, Redditor Saibotnl1 asked:
"What life advice can just f'k off?"
These Redditors have a problem with how certain people have on outlook on life.
Time To Rest
"Sleep when you’re dead."
"Cool, but you’re going to be dead a lot sooner."
– Tag2graff
Irrelevant Sadness
"People have it so much worse than you so don’t be sad!"
– notrachelmar
"To that I like to say, 'people have it so much better than you so don't be happy!'"
– ___jupiter____
Your Life Path
"Almost anything relating to what age you must be in order to buy a house, have children, marry, have a profession, or do anything else. Seriously, everyone's life is different from everyone else's. Make your life the way you want it to be. If you so desire. Up to you."
– Frn071
On The Contrary
“Cheaters never prosper”
"Yes, they f'king do."
– waqasnaseem07
People can get out of any situation they find displeasing.
But others feel people should just "stick it out."
Ignoring Bullies
"Just ignore bullys or get someone else to handle it for you. I have never seen this work, only makes it worse. The only effective way I've seen to deal with them is by not making yourself an easy target and make them scared to f'k with you again. If going psycho on their a** is the only thing they'll respond to that's their fault. Also want to add in schools they will punish you for self defense but that punishment is only sitting around a few hours in detention or sitting around at home with a suspension. The punishment is temporary boredom, it's absolutely nothing compared to being bullied and when it's over the important message will still stand that you will not tolerate being a victim."
– User Delted
Remain to be Miserable
"Stick it out"
"Whether that's sh**ty jobs, shi**y relationships, shi**y living situations..."
"By all means don't just give up on things when you face challenges, but if something feels wrong or is wrecking your peace then take some control and change it if you can!"
– petitezoey
"Easy for you to say," might be an auto-response to these suggestions for many people.
Invitation For Recklesslessness
"Live like everyday was your last"
Yall know what people do when they learn they have a single day left to live?"
– LimeGrass619
A Possible Consequence
"I did that as a teenager and ended up homeless and addicted to heroin. Didn’t pan out for me too well."
"19 years sober though today."
– Open-Section-7263
A Practical Approach
"If I knew with certainty that I had one day left, I'd double-check all my financials, my will, and my insurance policies, make sure my wife had all of my passwords and knew where all the money was, spend the rest of the day with her and the kids, then call the medical examiner and ask to lie down on the gurney so that when I die they won't strain their back moving my remains out of my house."
– Asteriad
Nose Stuck In A Book
"Work while they sleep. Study while they party"
"That's not a recipe for success, that's a recipe for a lot of white hairs, burnout syndrome and a stroke before your 40s..."
– Khomuna
Doesn't Apply To Everyone
"Do what you love and money will follow"
"I love walking my dogs and grilling food for my friends but That sh*t doesn't pay the bills as well as my engineering degree!"
– Elons_android
While people's intentions are good, they're better off keeping their two cents in their own pockets.
Not everyone likes to hear platitudes.
Sometimes, people just want to know they're not alone with their problems over listening to unlikely solutions that are nothing more than superficial pick-me-ups.
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