Australia bushfires: Longleat koala keepers return from support trip

Longleat's Graeme Dick with a rescued koala at Cleland Wildlife Park

Two Longleat koala keepers have returned from helping wildlife caught in Australia's devastating bushfires.

During their two-week trip, Graeme Dick and James Dennis from the Wiltshire safari park helped rescue and rehabilitate a wide range of wildlife.

Longleat has a long-term partnership with the South Australia Government and Cleland Wildlife Park, in Adelaide.

Mr Dick said: "It's been a hugely emotional experience for James and myself."

"To have the opportunity to lend a hand and put the skills we have learned into practice has been incredible," he added.

The pair flew out after Longleat's South Australian partners said their experience and hands-on practical help with the support effort would be beneficial given the scale of the situation.

The keepers travelled to Kangaroo Island to monitor and treat surviving populations and looked after koala burn victims at Cleland Wildlife Park.

James Dennis travelled to Kangaroo Island to monitor and treat injured wildlife

"The teams on the ground have lived through an absolute nightmare and now, with the fires finally dying out, the challenge is to start re-growing the eucalyptus tree, to get the affected areas re-wilded and to put all our efforts into keeping the surviving populations safe and healthy so they can begin to recover," Mr Dick said.

The bushfires are thought to have killed almost half a billion animals since September.

James Dennis feeds a rescued koala alongside local wildlife workers

Director of Cleland Wildlife Park Chris Daniel thanked the keepers for their help with the recovery process.

"They have been actively involved in a range of activities to rescue and rehabilitate koalas, wombats, echidnas and other wildlife," he added.

Longleat has set up a fundraising page to assist with the recovery programme which has raised more than £12,000.