Friends of the Koala mourns the loss of Triumph, the three-legged koala
The popular animal gained a massive online following after becoming the first marsupial to receive a prosthetic leg.
Lismore
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Friends of the Koala is mourning the loss of Triumph, the popular koala who was born with only three feet.
Triumph first arrived at Friends of the Koala in 2017 as an orphaned 10-month-old joey.
Triumph was unable to be released and was hand-raised by vet nurse Marley Christian.
He rose to fame internationally after he became the first koala to receive a prosthetic foot.
Nurse Christian searched the globe for one to help Triumph move better, before finding a solution close to home through Lismore dental prosthetist Jon Doulman.
Friends of the Koala president, Susannah Keogh, confirmed the koala’s death on Wednesday.
“Over the past six weeks, our IFAW-sponsored vet team noticed a marked change in his weight, demeanour and behaviour,” she said.
Triumph, who was five, initially underwent two full health assessments under general anaesthetic, but no abnormalities were discovered, and all tests returned normal results.
Despite altering his treatment plan, his weight and demeanour continued to decline.
Superintendent vet Jackie Reed conducted a third health assessment that revealed Triumph’s health had been in decline due to cancer.
He also was found to have active koala retrovirus which reduces immune function making him more susceptible to cancer.
“We are absolutely devastated by the loss of Triumph,” Ms Keogh said.
“Unfortunately, there were no viable treatment options and our vet team made the sad but humane decision to euthanise him”.
Triumph became a global ambassador for his threatened species and shined a light on the work of Friends of the Koala, inspiring many people across the world to take action in conserving koalas and their habitat.
“Just as the Friends of the Koala family are mourning, we understand that Triumph held a special place in the hearts of the community,” Ms Keogh said.
“The outpouring of support that we have received from the community has been incredible. I know everyone joins us in our sense of loss, and that helps our team get through these difficult times.
“However, we ask that people also give us the time and space to look after our staff and volunteers as they grieve the loss of Triumph.”
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