Date: February 2009

Photographer: Australian Mark Bardieu – Sustainability and Environment Worker

Details: The background of this photo is set against the backdrop of a series of devastating bushfires in the “Northern Mairbo” area near Melbourne, Australia. These fires claimed 173 lives, destroyed over 2,000 homes, and displaced approximately 75,000 people. During the efforts of a rescue team to extinguish the flames, a koala later known as “Sam” was discovered trying to escape the fire. The animal had severe burns, and as soon as the rescuers reached him, efforts to help began, documented in photos and videos that garnered millions of views. Notably, one of the most famous images shows Sam drinking from a water bottle held by a volunteer firefighter named Dave Tree, who is seen in the picture with Sam holding onto his hand with its claws.

Once the image was published in various global media outlets, it received positive reactions and became a symbol of hope amidst the fires. The condition of the koala, Sam, was closely followed as he was transferred to a wildlife recovery center. Unfortunately, after a few months of recovery from his burns, Sam developed fatal cysts that threatened his life. Despite attempts to perform surgery, it was found that he was beyond help, and due to his severe pain, a decision was made to euthanize him. His death at the age of four saddened many people. In his honor, his remains were transferred to the “Melbourne Museum” to serve as a symbol of the bushfires. Sam’s image became extremely popular, with many copies sold and his likeness used on a charity album featuring 35 local and international artists who donated their songs to raise funds for rescue teams and support victims of the fires.

Dave Tree, the hero of the koala Sam’s famous photo, shares the details of the experience. Despite working as a real estate agent, he volunteered with the firefighters as soon as the bushfires broke out. He and his team used controlled burns to halt the advance of the fierce fires. While walking with his team, he saw the koala moving through the burned land, shouted about it, and they stopped to help. He began filming the rescue for his daughter, “Shian,” and requested a bottle of water to continue documenting the event. The koala drank the two bottles calmly, despite usually being very agitated in such situations. Sam held onto Dave’s hand, which was tired and exhausted, capturing the famous image taken by photographer Mark Bardieu. Subsequently, the rescue team leader decided they needed to move on to save a house threatened by the fire. They left Sam with one of the team members and went to tackle the house fire. Sam was later taken to a wildlife recovery center. The image was shared via email, and the “Herald Sun” newspaper requested permission to publish it. The photo soon appeared on front pages, and media outlets began contacting Dave Tree, who became famous. Some Japanese tourists even met him and called him the “Koala Man” and requested photos with him. Despite the attention, Dave Tree faced criticism from wildlife advocates for leaving the koala alone. He defended himself by explaining that he could not let people’s homes burn and was even accused of staging the incident. Additionally, he faced workplace issues, with his manager questioning whether he wanted to be a real estate agent or a koala rescuer. Consequently, he left his job and now works as a school bus driver. Despite the challenges, Dave expressed happiness with the iconic photo, as it highlighted both the tragedy of lost lives and the preciousness of wildlife.