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A harrowing photo has captured the moment a koala appears to mourn the death of its friend amid the Australian wildfires.

The image was taken on Kangaroo Island, south of Adelaide, on Wednesday, two weeks after wildfires swept through the area, killing scores of animals.

In the image, the marsupial seemingly buries its head in its fur as it sits close to the deceased animal.

The koala was later rescued by the Humane Society's International Rescue team, which sent staff to the island to help wildlife.

One third of the island has been destroyed in the wildfires and an estimated 80 per cent of koala habitat has been wiped out.

HSI’s senior specialist in disaster response Kelly Donithan told One Green Planet that the scenes she faced on the island were devastating.

“These are some of the toughest scenes I’ve ever witnessed as an animal rescuer: the bodies of charred animals as far as the eye can see," she said.

“But as we set out each day on search and rescue, we’re still finding animals alive, injured, dazed or traumatised, and it’s such a relief to be able to give them immediate life-saving assistance.

“We’ve seen kangaroos with devastating burn injuries and dehydrated koalas gasping for water. Amidst all this death, every time we find an animal alive it feels like a miracle.”

She added that the local sanctuaries are working “round the clock” to provide veterinary care and her team are searching the areas for animals in need of assistance.

Australia’s Threatened Species Commissioner Sally Box said that just under a third of eucalyptus woodlands, which koalas use for both food and shelter, may have been lost in New South Wales.

The koalas' heavy fur and tendency to climb higher when threatened are severe disadvantages in fast-moving bushfires.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said reviews would be brought forward on whether certain koala populations should be listed as "endangered" rather than "vulnerable".

"Everything that can be done to rescue and recover koala habitat will be done, including innovative approaches that look at whether you can actually put a koala in an area that it hasn't come from," she said.

Australia fires - In pictures 59 show all Australia fires - In pictures 1/59 A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales in December AFP via Getty Images 2/59 An aerial view of bushfires burning south of Canberra Getty Images 3/59 Adelaide wildlife rescuer Simon Adamczyk is seen with a koala rescued at a burning forest on Kangaroo Island in January Reuters 4/59 German tourists Julia Wasmiller and Jessica Pryor pose for a photo at Mrs Macquarie's chair, wearing face masks due to heavy smoke in December Getty Images 5/59 A small aircraft dumps fire retardant behind houses at the foot of Mount Tennant as the fire front of the Orroral Valley fire creeps through the Namadgi National Park on January 30, 2020 in Canberra, Australia Getty Images 6/59 A pyrocumulonimbus cloud is generated by the intense Orroral Valley bushfire buring to the south of Canberra. Getty Images 7/59 Eugenie Bouchard of Canada takes a moment to catch her breath during her qualifying match against Xiaodi You of China during 2020 Australian Open Qualifying at Melbourne Park Getty Images 8/59 Bernard Tomic of Australia receives medical attention in his match against Denis Kudla of the USA during 2020 Australian Open Qualifying at Melbourne Park Getty Images 9/59 Massive smoke rising from wildfires burning in East Gippsland, Victoria in January AP 10/59 Smoke looms over Sydney 11/59 A kangaroo jumps in a field amidst smoke from a bushfire at Snowy Valley, Australia in January AFP via Getty Images 12/59 Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits a resident's property in an area devastated by bushfires in Sarsfield, Victoria state in January POOL/AFP via Getty Images 13/59 An injured koala rests in a washing basket at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park in January Getty Images 14/59 A pedestrian wears a mask as smoke shrouds the Australian capital of Canberra, Australia in January AP 15/59 A large smoke plume is seen over a sheep property in the Parndana region in January Getty Images 16/59 NSW's National Parks and Wildlife Service staff prepare to air-drop carrots for animals in bushfire-stricken areas, in Newnes, Wollemi National Park, New South Wales in January via Reuters 17/59 A wallaby eats a carrot after NSW's National Parks and Wildlife Service staff air-dropped them in bushfire-stricken areas around Wollemi and Yengo National Parks, New South Wales in January via Reuters 18/59 Nurses feed an injured male koala at Adelaide Koala Rescue in January Getty Images 19/59 A woodchip mill burnt by bushfires is seen as smoke rises in Eden in Australia's New South Wales in January AFP via Getty Images 20/59 Kylie Minogue donates to the cause @kylieminogue 21/59 Cars line up to leave the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales to head north in January AFP via Getty Images 22/59 HMAS Choules off the coast of Victoria, Australia in January Reuters 23/59 The property of Lyle Stewart is razed to the ground at Nerrigundah, Australia in January AP 24/59 Rural Fire Service firefighter Trevor Stewart views a flank of in Tumburumba, Australia Getty Images 25/59 A plane flies in the tobacco-coloured skies over Auckland, New Zealand, as smoke from the wildfires traveled from Australia in January Getty Images 26/59 An orange glow darkens the sky in Auckland city from the wildfires in Australia Getty Images 27/59 Kiahan Bellchambers and her brother Jesse Bellchambers looking for belongings amongst the ruins of their house destroyed during bushfires in Batlow, in Australia's New South Wales state in January AFP via Getty Images 28/59 Lieutenant Kynan Lang from the 10th/27th Battalion visits the scene where his uncle and cousin died in a bushfire to place a memorial on Kangaroo Island, Australia in January via Reuters 29/59 A firefighters backs away from the flames after lighting a controlled burn near Tomerong, Australia AP 30/59 Black ash and fire debris is washed up on Boydtown Beach and the banks of the Nullica River in Eden, Australia REUTERS 31/59 Barb Copus holds a rescued baby brushtail possum at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park in the Parndana region on Kangaroo Island, Australia Getty Images 32/59 A burnt car is seen after bushfire in Batlow, in Australia's New South Wales state in January AFP via Getty Images 33/59 A burning gum tree is felled to stop it from falling on a car in Corbago, as bushfires continue in New South Wales, Australia in January Reuters 34/59 General view of the Dunn Road fire in January Getty Images 35/59 Australian Army CH-47 Chinooks from the 5th Aviation Regiment deliver hay bales to remote bushfire-affected farms on Kangaroo Island, Australia via Reuters 36/59 Volunteer and carer Tracy Dodd holds a kangaroo with burnt feet pads after being rescued from bushfires in Australia's Blue Mountains area in December Reuters 37/59 Thick smoke from wildfires shroud the Sydney Opera House in December AP 38/59 A property burns from bushfires in Balmoral, 150km southwest of Sydney in December AFP via Getty Images 39/59 A fireman fights a bushfire to protect a property in Balmoral, 150km southwest of Sydney in December AFP via Getty Images 40/59 Helicopters dump water on bushfires as they approach homes located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo in December Getty Images 41/59 Australian wildfires turn sky red in December brendanh_au/Twitter 42/59 Firemen inspect a house recently destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of the town of Bargo in December Getty Images 43/59 Firemen prepare as a bushfire approaches homes on the outskirts of the town of Bargo in December Getty Images 44/59 Monitoring the Tianjara fire from a helicopter in the Moreton and Jerrawangala National Park in December Getty Images 45/59 People wear face masks to protect from the pollution over Sydney Harbour in December Getty Images 46/59 A fire approaches the village of Nerrigundah, Australia in December AP 47/59 An old car burns from bushfires in Balmoral AFP via Getty Images 48/59 The remains of burnt out buildings are seen along main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo in December AFP via Getty Images 49/59 Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale, Australia in December AP 50/59 A horse trying to move away from nearby bushfires at a residential property near the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales in December AFP via Getty Images 51/59 Fire and thick smoke remains the village of Nerrigundah, Australia in December AP 52/59 Gary Hinton stands amongst rubble after fires devastated the New South Wales town of Cobargo in December AFP via Getty Images 53/59 A helicopter drops fire retardent to protect a property in Balmoral in December AFP via Getty Images 54/59 The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia in December via Reuters 55/59 A fire and rescue team inspect the damage around Torrington in Glen Innes, Australia in November Getty Images 56/59 Flames from an out of control bushfire seen from a nearby residential area in Harrington, Australia in November AFP via Getty Images 57/59 Bushfires taken from a plane in over north eastern New South Wales in November AFP via Getty Images 58/59 An Air-crane water bombing helicopter drops water on a bushfire in Harrington, Australia in November Reuters 59/59 Haze blanketing Manly Beach, Sydney in November Sydney Coaches via Reuters 1/59 A firefighter hosing down trees and flying embers in an effort to secure nearby houses from bushfires near the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales in December AFP via Getty Images 2/59 An aerial view of bushfires burning south of Canberra Getty Images 3/59 Adelaide wildlife rescuer Simon Adamczyk is seen with a koala rescued at a burning forest on Kangaroo Island in January Reuters 4/59 German tourists Julia Wasmiller and Jessica Pryor pose for a photo at Mrs Macquarie's chair, wearing face masks due to heavy smoke in December Getty Images 5/59 A small aircraft dumps fire retardant behind houses at the foot of Mount Tennant as the fire front of the Orroral Valley fire creeps through the Namadgi National Park on January 30, 2020 in Canberra, Australia Getty Images 6/59 A pyrocumulonimbus cloud is generated by the intense Orroral Valley bushfire buring to the south of Canberra. Getty Images 7/59 Eugenie Bouchard of Canada takes a moment to catch her breath during her qualifying match against Xiaodi You of China during 2020 Australian Open Qualifying at Melbourne Park Getty Images 8/59 Bernard Tomic of Australia receives medical attention in his match against Denis Kudla of the USA during 2020 Australian Open Qualifying at Melbourne Park Getty Images 9/59 Massive smoke rising from wildfires burning in East Gippsland, Victoria in January AP 10/59 Smoke looms over Sydney 11/59 A kangaroo jumps in a field amidst smoke from a bushfire at Snowy Valley, Australia in January AFP via Getty Images 12/59 Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits a resident's property in an area devastated by bushfires in Sarsfield, Victoria state in January POOL/AFP via Getty Images 13/59 An injured koala rests in a washing basket at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park in January Getty Images 14/59 A pedestrian wears a mask as smoke shrouds the Australian capital of Canberra, Australia in January AP 15/59 A large smoke plume is seen over a sheep property in the Parndana region in January Getty Images 16/59 NSW's National Parks and Wildlife Service staff prepare to air-drop carrots for animals in bushfire-stricken areas, in Newnes, Wollemi National Park, New South Wales in January via Reuters 17/59 A wallaby eats a carrot after NSW's National Parks and Wildlife Service staff air-dropped them in bushfire-stricken areas around Wollemi and Yengo National Parks, New South Wales in January via Reuters 18/59 Nurses feed an injured male koala at Adelaide Koala Rescue in January Getty Images 19/59 A woodchip mill burnt by bushfires is seen as smoke rises in Eden in Australia's New South Wales in January AFP via Getty Images 20/59 Kylie Minogue donates to the cause @kylieminogue 21/59 Cars line up to leave the town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales to head north in January AFP via Getty Images 22/59 HMAS Choules off the coast of Victoria, Australia in January Reuters 23/59 The property of Lyle Stewart is razed to the ground at Nerrigundah, Australia in January AP 24/59 Rural Fire Service firefighter Trevor Stewart views a flank of in Tumburumba, Australia Getty Images 25/59 A plane flies in the tobacco-coloured skies over Auckland, New Zealand, as smoke from the wildfires traveled from Australia in January Getty Images 26/59 An orange glow darkens the sky in Auckland city from the wildfires in Australia Getty Images 27/59 Kiahan Bellchambers and her brother Jesse Bellchambers looking for belongings amongst the ruins of their house destroyed during bushfires in Batlow, in Australia's New South Wales state in January AFP via Getty Images 28/59 Lieutenant Kynan Lang from the 10th/27th Battalion visits the scene where his uncle and cousin died in a bushfire to place a memorial on Kangaroo Island, Australia in January via Reuters 29/59 A firefighters backs away from the flames after lighting a controlled burn near Tomerong, Australia AP 30/59 Black ash and fire debris is washed up on Boydtown Beach and the banks of the Nullica River in Eden, Australia REUTERS 31/59 Barb Copus holds a rescued baby brushtail possum at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park in the Parndana region on Kangaroo Island, Australia Getty Images 32/59 A burnt car is seen after bushfire in Batlow, in Australia's New South Wales state in January AFP via Getty Images 33/59 A burning gum tree is felled to stop it from falling on a car in Corbago, as bushfires continue in New South Wales, Australia in January Reuters 34/59 General view of the Dunn Road fire in January Getty Images 35/59 Australian Army CH-47 Chinooks from the 5th Aviation Regiment deliver hay bales to remote bushfire-affected farms on Kangaroo Island, Australia via Reuters 36/59 Volunteer and carer Tracy Dodd holds a kangaroo with burnt feet pads after being rescued from bushfires in Australia's Blue Mountains area in December Reuters 37/59 Thick smoke from wildfires shroud the Sydney Opera House in December AP 38/59 A property burns from bushfires in Balmoral, 150km southwest of Sydney in December AFP via Getty Images 39/59 A fireman fights a bushfire to protect a property in Balmoral, 150km southwest of Sydney in December AFP via Getty Images 40/59 Helicopters dump water on bushfires as they approach homes located on the outskirts of the town of Bargo in December Getty Images 41/59 Australian wildfires turn sky red in December brendanh_au/Twitter 42/59 Firemen inspect a house recently destroyed by bushfires on the outskirts of the town of Bargo in December Getty Images 43/59 Firemen prepare as a bushfire approaches homes on the outskirts of the town of Bargo in December Getty Images 44/59 Monitoring the Tianjara fire from a helicopter in the Moreton and Jerrawangala National Park in December Getty Images 45/59 People wear face masks to protect from the pollution over Sydney Harbour in December Getty Images 46/59 A fire approaches the village of Nerrigundah, Australia in December AP 47/59 An old car burns from bushfires in Balmoral AFP via Getty Images 48/59 The remains of burnt out buildings are seen along main street in the New South Wales town of Cobargo in December AFP via Getty Images 49/59 Wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale, Australia in December AP 50/59 A horse trying to move away from nearby bushfires at a residential property near the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales in December AFP via Getty Images 51/59 Fire and thick smoke remains the village of Nerrigundah, Australia in December AP 52/59 Gary Hinton stands amongst rubble after fires devastated the New South Wales town of Cobargo in December AFP via Getty Images 53/59 A helicopter drops fire retardent to protect a property in Balmoral in December AFP via Getty Images 54/59 The sky glows red as bushfires continue to rage in Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia in December via Reuters 55/59 A fire and rescue team inspect the damage around Torrington in Glen Innes, Australia in November Getty Images 56/59 Flames from an out of control bushfire seen from a nearby residential area in Harrington, Australia in November AFP via Getty Images 57/59 Bushfires taken from a plane in over north eastern New South Wales in November AFP via Getty Images 58/59 An Air-crane water bombing helicopter drops water on a bushfire in Harrington, Australia in November Reuters 59/59 Haze blanketing Manly Beach, Sydney in November Sydney Coaches via Reuters

The Australian government also committed $50 million to an emergency wildlife recovery program on Monday, calling the bushfires crisis engulfing the country "an ecological disaster" that threatens several species, including koalas and rock wallabies.

The wildfires have razed more than 11.2 million hectares (27.7 million acres), nearly half the area of the United Kingdom, destroying or severely damaging the habitats of several native animals since September 2019.

"This has been an ecological disaster, a disaster that is still unfolding," government treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters on Monday as he visited the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where 45 koalas were being treated for burns.

"We know that our native flora and fauna have been very badly damaged."

The Australian division of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has advised the government of 13 animals whose habitats have been either destroyed or severely damaged.

They include three critically endangered species: the southern corroboree frog, the regent honeyeater bird and the western ground parrot.