An injured koala whose dramatic rescue from the deadly bushfires in Australia went viral on social media has been put to sleep.

The animal, named Ellenborough Lewis, was heard wailing in the clip that emerged last week, which showed him being carried away from danger by a woman who took her top off to protect him.

He was taken from the scene in the village of Long Flat to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, where he received treatment for serious burns to his hands, arms, feet and legs.

Helpless victims of Australia's bushfires

Despite the best efforts of staff at the facility, his death was announced in a statement on Facebook.

The hospital said the burns had worsened since Ellenborough Lewis was admitted, and that his condition wouldn't have improved over time.


The statement added: "Today we made the decision to put Ellenborough Lewis to sleep. We placed him under general anaesthesia this morning to assess his injuries and change the bandages.

"We recently posted that 'burns injuries can get worse before they get better'. In Ellenborough Lewis' case, the burns did get worse and unfortunately would not have gotten better.

"The Koala Hospital's number one goal is animal welfare, and so it was on those grounds that this decision was made. We thank you for your ongoing support."

The previous update on his condition, suggesting that his burns could eventually improve, was posted after the hospital was inundated with enquiries from the public.

Image: Parts of Australia have been devastated by bushfires this month

Many have been gripped by the efforts to rescue koalas at risk from the bushfires in New South Wales, which have caused devastation across the state.

The flames have destroyed about 2.5 million acres of farmland and bush in recent weeks.

Hundreds of homes have also been destroyed and the state has suffered its worst levels of air pollution on record, causing a spike in hospital visits.

At least four people have died.