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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Ellena Cruse

Australia wildfires: Horrific video shows burnt out remains of animals as crisis continues to grip country

This horrific video shows the burnt out remains of some of the animals who have perished during Australia's wildfire crisis.

The grisly footage shows scores of dead animals, including kangaroos, lining the roadside in Batlow, New South Wales, where a man was killed while trying to defend his home from the bushfires.

Around one billion creatures are thought to have died after blazes erupted in south eastern states in September.

Experts warn that many more could be killed because they "don't stand a chance" against the extreme flames.

Kangaroo and Sheep could not escape wildfires on Kangaroo Island, (AP)

Firefighters have been relentlessly tackling the outbreaks and prime minister Scott Morrison has drafted in 3,000 land sea and air troops to battle the blazes.

As well as claiming 24 human lives, WWF Australia said mammals, birds, reptiles, bats, frogs and insects have all fallen victims to the crisis.

Speaking to Sky news WWF spokesman Stuart Blanch said even animals who made it out of the infernos may still be doomed.

A kangaroo jumps in a field amidst smoke from a bushfire in Snowy Valley in Australia (AFP via Getty Images)

"Animals that make it through the fires will continue to die in the next weeks and months because of dehydration, starvation, disease and being easier prey for feral cats and foxes," he said.

"Nearly all of Australian wildlife is well-adapted to cope with normal bushfires - but this is not normal.

"This is a climate emergency-driven bushfire catastrophe and a lot of our wildlife simply cannot get away from the fires - they're too fast, they're too big, they're too hot.

A weary kangaroo shelters on a patch of green grass surrounded by burnt bushland in Milton, Australia (REUTERS)

"So even animals that are not being burnt to death are cooked because of extreme temperatures, or they get very confused and lost because of the smoke haze so our animals don't stand a chance from these mass mega-fires that burn flames up to 200ft high."

Firefighters are battling to contain the wildfires, with many burning out of control and threatening rural townships, property and land.

Mr Morrison faced criticism about how he dealt with the wildfires with some saying he did not respond quickly enough.

He was also slammed for going on a family holiday at the beginning of the outbreaks.

At a Sunday press conference, he maintained that blaming the government wasn't a productive exercise and attention should be instead given to helping victims .

As the deadly fires, which have been burned about five million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land since September, continue to rage, celebrities have stepped in to offer support for victims and raise money for firefighting services and wildlife shelters.

Singer Pink , actress Nicole Kidman and comedian Celeste Barber have all pledged money.

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