This Morning viewers praise wildlife park owner on Australia’s Kangaroo Island and gush over bear

The owner of a wildlife park on Australia’s Kangaroo Island who remained to protect hundreds of koalas after being told to evacuate raging wildfires has been praised by This Morning viewers. 

Residents of the South Australian island fled for their lives when the army gave them just five minutes to evacuate as their home was ravaged by bushfires in January, but Sam Mitchell, his family and other staff remained on site, risking their lives for the animals.

Appearing on This Morning today, Sam told how his make-shift hospital which saw koalas being cared for in the park’s house and cafe has become a fully operational centre with the capacity to treat 150 animals. 

Viewers praised the park owner – but were ‘heartbroken’ at hearing the devastating effects the wildfires had on Australian wildlife.  

Sam Mitchell, owner of the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, remained at the facility as the surrounding area was ravaged by wildfires in January 

Appearing on This Morning today Sam told how after a make-shift hospital with koalas being treated in the park’s house and cafe – he’s managed to build a new fully operational hospital and was joined by koala Grace 

‘At the very beginning any building would do,’ he said. ‘The house was full of koalas, the cafe was full of animals, there were tents out the front, the army were out the back. 

‘We do now have a fully operational wildlife hospital and enough facilities to hold 150 koalas at any one time, so we’ve come a long way.’ 

Sam, who remained on the island with wife Dana Mitchell and son Connor, was joined by koala Grace, who was brought to the hospital following a car accident and is slowly recovering before being introduced back into the wild.  

One impressed viewer said: ‘Fabulous work being done by Sam Mitchell and staff at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, saving the lives of Australia’s koalas and other animals. Good people doing good things.’ 

Viewers praised the park owner, and told they were ‘heartbroken’ at hearing the devastating effects the wildfires had on Australian wildlife

Another viewer added: ‘Day 1 of Lockdown 2.0 – crying at koalas at risk of extinction.’

Some users fawned over adorable Grace, with one writing: ‘We need more koalas on TV’, while another added: ‘Grace the koala, so cute!’ 

While Sam’s work has saved many animals, the koala population of Kangaroo Island was ‘decimated’ following the wildfires – after it took 100 years to build up the population of the species on the island. 

‘The numbers [of remaining koalas] are anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000,’ Sam said. ‘And their numbers were up to 65,000 maybe more, so they really decimated the population here.

While Sam’s work has saved many animals, the koala population of Kangaroo island was ‘decimated’ following the wildfires

Sam, who remained on the island with wife Dana Mitchell and son Connor, saved far more animals than expected as he remained on the island 

‘Although they are an introduced species to Kangaroo Island, it took 100 years to get those numbers, so to lose so many, it’s just devastating.’ 

He explained that it will take seven years for the animal’s natural habitat to regenerate, but that with the smaller number of koalas, their gene pool will be much smaller.   

‘Genetic diversity is quite a critical factor,’ he explained. ‘And the more koalas you lose, the worse that gene pool is, so it’s not looking good.’ 

While Sam managed to get many animals into hospital, several of those who visited didn’t make it, and the park owner has spent the months after the wildfires protecting animals who have struggled to find food. 

He explained that it will seven years for the animal’s natural habitat to regenerate, but that with the smaller number of koalas, their gene pool will be much smaller

The park owner told hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby (pictured top left) he has spent the months after the wildfires protecting animals who have struggled to find food

He said: ‘We’ve seen a little under 600 koalas and around 150 other species come through the hospital and our success rate was around 40 per cent, which was a lot higher than we were told to expect.

‘We were told to expect a 12.5 survival rate and the koalas who came in early on, some of those guys were in such poor condition there was no way they could make it. 

‘The issues went on, because if they survived the fires a lot of them died of starvation. For the following months a lot of it came down to relocating those guys who were emaciated and slowly dying.’