Port Macquarie Koala Hospital GoFundMe campaign tops $1.7 million

The campaign through the online fundraising platform, GoFundMe, has topped $1.7 million.

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital clinical director Cheyne Flanagan said the response had been overwhelming.

"We will manage this money very carefully," she said.

"This is public money, it's not our money."

Ms Flanagan said the donated money would be independently managed in a transparent fashion as it was money people had given in good faith and goodwill.

She said the koala hospital had to stick to the information outlined on the GoFundMe page.

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital initially launched the fundraising campaign to buy and distribute drinking stations for koalas and other wildlife in bushfire-ravaged areas.

The campaign has received overwhelming support from Australia and overseas.

Some 100 drinking stations, complete with wildlife cameras, will be located in fire grounds up and down the coast.

Ms Flanagan said when the koala hospital was comfortable the drinking stations were working well, they would offer them throughout the state.

The donations will also allow the koala hospital to fast track the introduction of a wild koala breeding program.

The koala hospital is considering the establishment of more than one facility or "koala ark" as an insurance policy against future fires.

"We need insurance policies of different populations breeding in different areas," Ms Flanagan said.

"There is such a fear of fires now, I think we need to have multiple sites."

The koala hospital has about 33 koalas in care from fire grounds including Lake Innes Nature Reserve, Crowdy Bay National Park, Bellangry State Forest and the Taree area.

Ms Flanagan said the koala hospital used some of the donated money to build two enclosures on private property as it had run out of room with the influx of koalas from the fire grounds.

Some 10 koalas have been moved to the two new enclosures.

Search and rescue teams are waiting on clearance to help Koalas in Care to scour fire grounds around Hillville near Taree.

Meanwhile, Ellenborough Lewis has tragically died as a result of his fire-related injuries.

The koala captured people's hearts after Toni Doherty bravely rescued him from a fire near Long Flat.

She wrapped Lewis in her shirt and doused him in water.

Watch the video: The moment Toni Doherty bravely rescued a burning koala

Lewis was in home care, but unfortunately his burns worsened as time progressed, and the koala hospital made the decision to euthanise the koala.

"We are about welfare and what's best for the animal," Ms Flanagan said.

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