Koala who was rescued by a grandmother during the NSW bushfires has died
A koala who was rescued by a topless grandmother during the New South Wales bushfires has been put to sleep because his injuries were 'too serious to treat'.
Toni Doherty was recorded running into an out-of-control bushfire in Long Flat, about 50 kilometres west Port Macquarie, to save the injured marsupial, named Ellenborough Lewis.
Lewis was taken to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie where he received treatment for severe burns to his hands, feet, arms and the inside of his legs.
But the koala's condition took a turn for the worse and the facility made the difficult decision to put him down on Tuesday.
Today we made the decision to put Ellenborough Lewis to sleep,' the hospital wrote on Facebook.
'We placed him under general anaesthesia this morning to assess his burns injuries and change the bandages.'
The koala hospital explained burns injuries 'can get worse before they get better'.
'In Ellenborough Lewis's case, the burns did get worse, and unfortunately would not have gotten better.'