Koala mum found lying on top of baby in Canungra fires

Rescuers have told of the moment they found a burned koala desperately trying to protect her young from a savage bushfire.

A MOTHER koala found clinging to a fallen tree during bushfires that swept through the Gold Coast hinterland was cradling her baby beneath her.

This koala mum and her joey were rescued on Friday at Canungra.

The brave female koala had been burned during a bushfire at Canungra, but her joey was completely unharmed.

17 HOMES DESTROYED IN BUSHFIRES

‘I DON’T KNOW IF MY HOME IS STILL STANDING’

“Everything was burnt to the ground around them,” Senior-Sergeant Peter Waugh told The Beaudesert Times.

“The mum had burns to her back - it was singed - and she had obvious burns to her ears but the bub didn’t seem to be injured.”

Sen-Sgt Waugh said the “very protective” mother was spotted about 4.30pm on Friday.

“When we found her it looked like she was lying on top of her young - as if she was cradling it,” he said.

Both koalas have been taken to the RSPCA Queensland wildlife hospital where they are being monitored.