As many of you know, the East coast of Australia is on fire.
Devastating bushfires continue to take lives, destroy homes and towns, raze vast tracks of forests and kill millions of animals.
Yet amongst such devastation, there are also stories of hope, kindness and survival.
Many cyclists may already be familiar with Adelaide rider Anna Heusler’s koala video that went viral.
Anna was riding with a group of friends in the Adelaide Hills when they saw a koala sitting in the middle of the road. With parts of the Adelaide Hills ravaged by fires, wildlife that are not killed, have been injured and displaced.
On the day Anna was riding, it was 42C and this koala was desperate for a drink.
Anna stopped to give the koala a drink. The koala, who has since been named Kodak, drank 8 bottles of water from the cyclists. They then ushered him off the road to safety.
The moving video of this encounter has been seen worldwide and brought attention to the desperate plight Australian wildlife is experiencing during these bushfires – and particularly for koalas.
Read more about Anna’s encounter here.
Since finding Kodak, Anna has a Thirsty Koalas project on Go Fund Me and has been working tirelessly volunteering for Koala rescue and rehabilitation to support their long-term survival.
Support the koalas
In support of Koala Rescue and Anna’s hard work, Chicks who Ride Bikes have re-released a limited edition Koala jersey where 100% of the profits will go to Koala rescue and rehabilitation.
Order a limited edition koala jersey and 100% of profits go towards the International Koala Centre of Excellence.
Supporting the koalas is a great way for cyclists to show they care, support bushfire efforts, see out 2019 and start the new 2020 year (and decade) on a positive note.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by the bushfires.