Specimen Z 11214 Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817)

Summary

This is a tissue sample taken from "Sam the Koala". Sam's public story started a week prior to the February 9th Black Saturday Bushfires, when she was filmed drinking from firefighter David Tree's water bottle. The publication of Sam's image became headline news around the world. She became a symbol of hope and resilience amidst the loss and trauma of Australia's worst bushfires on record. Sam's situation became known to Wildlife Rescue and Protection members on 6 February 2009. Sam recovered from her burns at the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter, but was later euthanised due to chlamydiosis which is widespread in koalas and is exacerbated by loss of habitat. Sam then came to the Musem Colleciton as was prepared for display in a manner depicted her recovering from her fire injuries, during the time she was cared for at the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter. Sam has been on display in the Wild exhibition at Melbourne Museum since that time.