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.
Faulkner continued in his Facebook post:
"A second wallaby was found on the road after it had been forced to the roads fleeing fires."
He concluded by saying:
"I'm so proud of my amazing family for dropping everything to help where we can, they are my heroes."
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.
Though the situation is dire, people were able to express hope for the future.
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.
