Mouth-to-mouth Resuscitation Saves Koala

Emergency workers in Melbourne, Australia, received a call Thursday night about a koala that had been hit by a car. They arrived at the scene and found the koala had climbed a tree, but as they tried to retrieve it, it fell about 10 meters, where firefighters caught it in a blanket.   

Langwarrin fire brigade captain Sean Curtin said fire crews and wildlife authorities quickly got to reviving Sir Chompsalot.

"Wildlife Victoria actually performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the koala and one of the other members was actually pumping the koala's chest to get some movement in the heart and also get some air into the lungs at the same time," he said.

"We put it on O2 oxygen therapy to assist in getting some oxygen into the blood flow of the koala."

One of the firefighters had experience, as he had revived a dog once with mouth-to-mouth. Sir Chompsalot, as the rescuers named him, is recovering at a local animal hospital. With video. -via Boing Boing

(Image credit: Langwarrin and Frankston CFA)