The koala in front of me isn’t cuddly, he’s charred. His failed escape, frozen in ash, looks like something out of Pompeii 79AD, not NSW 2019. He died on outstretched arms and up on his knees on my friend’s property, striving forward for breath, for life, for relief from the tsunami of flame consuming his home. And now he consumes me.

One that got away ... wildlife rescue resources have been stretched by the early fire season. Credit:Angela Milne

The position of his head, bowed to the ground, looks not like he gave up, but that he was weighed down, that he ran out of time. He was just not able to get out. Most didn’t. The photogenic koalas being saved, salved and shared on social media, are the rarity not the reality.

What a horror. What a loss.

But we can’t afford to remain at a loss. As a country, we need to forge a way out. When a company is looking to remain relevant, reduce losses, stem staff turnover, take on the competition, create new products, impact new markets, become more efficient and boost profits, they reach out and canvas staff, customers, competitors and consultants.