Sam the Koala

Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Thursday led mourning for Sam the koala, whose rescue from deadly bushfires inspired the nation but who has died during surgery for a sexually transmitted disease.

Rudd said he had been saddened to learn of the death of "that wonderful koala" in an operation for cysts caused by chlamydia, describing it as a tragedy.

Sam was found thirsty and severely burned in February and shot to fame when footage of her drinking bottled water offered by a fireman circulated widely on the Internet.

"The symbol of hope for so many people around the world was the great picture of that wonderful koala being fed water by one of our firefighters," Rudd said.

"I think that gave the people of the world a great sense of hope that this country, Australia, could come through those fires, as we have.

"Sam the Koala was part of the symbolism of that, and it's tragic that Sam the koala is no longer with us."

Footage of helmeted fireman Dave Tree giving Sam water scored almost 150,000 hits in two days on the Internet video site YouTube, and was shown on TV news bulletins the world over.

The cuddly marsupial died Thursday after surgery to remove cysts associated with chlamydia, said Peita Elkhorne, spokeswoman for the animal shelter where she had been living.

"(Sam) lost her fight for life today after undergoing life-saving surgery to remove cysts associated with the debilitating urogenital chlamydiosis, which affects 50 percent of the koala population," Elkhorne said.

Elkhorne said Sam's carers were "devastated with this loss" adding that she had inspired survivors of the fires and those engaged in the relief and emergency effort with her determination.

Entire towns were flattened and 173 people died when fire swept through vast tracts of bushland outside Melbourne. Millions of unique native animals, including koalas, kangaroos and wombats, were also estimated to have perished.

Rescuers had hoped to return Sam, who was of an unusual breed that is fluffier and larger than other koalas, to her home in the Strzelecki Ranges in southeast Victoria state once she had recovered from her burns.
~MSN News

Q ... Some one, PLEASE TAXIDERMISE it. He's such an Icon of Hope. Deeply saddened.