Koala saved from Australian bushfires put to sleep

MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - Sam the koala, famous across the world after she was rescued during the bushfires in southern Australia in February, was put down on Thursday, local media reported.

The 4-year-old koala, which received serious burns during the fires in Victoria, was taken to the Southern Ash Wildlife Centre and had been making good progress, Australian newspapers reported.

However, the animal developed urogenital chlamydiosis, which affects 50% of Australia's koala population, and during surgery to treat cysts caused by the disease, vets discovered Sam's condition had reached a critical stage and decided to put her down rather than let her suffer, The Herald Sun said.

"Dr. John Butler of the Morwell Vet Clinic operated on Sam shortly after 1 p.m. today and discovered that Sam had severe changes in her urinary and reproductive tract that was non-operable and unfortunately had to put Sam to sleep," a lawyer representing Sam and the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter told the newspaper.

Peita Elkhorne of TressCox Lawyers added that everyone who been involved with Sam was devastated with this loss.

David Tree, one of the Country Fire Authority volunteers, said he cried like a baby when he learnt about Sam's death. "She meant so much - she highlighted the plight and vulnerability of Australian wildlife around the world,'' he told The Herald Sun.

Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led the national mourning for Sam, describing her as an enduring symbol of Victoria's resilience in the face of the Black Saturday fires. "It's tragic that Sam the koala is no longer with us," he said.

The bushfires in Australia's Victoria state began on February 7 and continued for several weeks, killing 170 people. The fires spread quickly due to extremely hot weather and winds.