Heartwarming pictures of a small group of koalas cooling off from the heat in New South Wales have gone viral.
The images show the colony hanging around the coast Murray river in Tocuwmal.
Some are perched on a fallen tree, while others are pictured finding relief from the hot weather by sitting in the water.
Lorene Mcrae posted the images on Facebook to share a feel-good story of hope amidst the distressing scenes of the Australian bushfires.
McRae, who was camping over Christmas and New Year's, said she was lucky to have chosen a spot close to the koalas.
She has spent a lot of time observing the marsupials so was surprised when the koalas left their trees.
"Each day they climbed down the river banks at dawn to sit and sleep on the damp logs, on the sand or in the root systems of the fallen trees.
"Occasionally they would back up and put their bottoms in the water and go back to sleep," she posted.
She said they were not bothered by the constant passing of ski boats and jet skis.
"They and just hung on tighter when the boat waves reached them."
They repeated the process each day.
"I understand now the photos of koalas accepting water from humans; as well as being desperately thirsty, they seem to be trusting as well.
"I sat quietly in the water with one for a while and took hundreds of photos of all of them and they weren't bothered at all," she posted.
It is estimated nearly one-third of the entire koala population in NSW have burned to death while 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles have died due to the fires.
Donations to the suffering wildlife on Kangaroo Island can be made here and to help the Koalas in Port Macquarie Koala Hospital donate here.
You can also donate money for injured, sick and displaced wildlife at Mogo Zoo Foundation Fire Recovery here.
Help the volunteers rescuing wildlife at WIRES donate here
