• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • GMA3: WYNTK
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2025 ABC News
  • Living

Australian wildfires: Knitters around the globe unite to knit koala mittens and joey pouches

1:00
Paul the koala makes miraculous recovery after rescue from Australian bushfire
Christina Simons/The New York Times via Redux
ByKatie Kindelan
January 08, 2020, 5:46 PM

People looking for a way to help as devastating fires continue to destroy land and animals in Australia have come up with a creative solution.

Knitters around the world are handmaking pouches, nests and mittens for animals affected by the fires, from kangaroos and koalas to wombats and wallabies.

Related Articles

MORE: How to help support the Australian wildfires relief effort

Editor’s Picks

More than 1 billion animals estimated dead in Australia wildfires: Expert

  • Jan 08, 2020

24 Australians arrested for deliberately setting fires this season

  • Jan 07, 2020

Serena Williams, more stars to play charity tennis match for Australia fires

  • Jan 08, 2020

The effort is being spearheaded by the Animal Rescue Collective, a Brisbane-based organization that supports animal rescues across Australia.

Various completed animal pouches for animals affected by Australia bushfires hang on clothing racks in this Jan. 4, 2020, image obtained via social media, in Regents Park, Queensland, Australia.
Kim Simeon via Reuters

The organization's Craft Guild put out a call on Facebook for everything from pouches for joey kangaroos to mittens for koalas with burned paws, blankets, knitted nests and sweaters and shared patterns to make them.

The Animal Rescue Craft Guild's Facebook page has since been flooded with posts from people around the world who stepped up to help.

More than 1 billion animals are estimated to have died in the devastating wildfires that began late last year, an expert said Wednesday.

More than 800 million of those animals are estimated to have been killed in New South Wales alone, according to a statement from The University of Sydney.

Related Articles

MORE: Elton John, Chris Hemsworth each pledge $1 million to Australia wildfire relief

"It's events like this that may well hasten the extinction process for a range of other species," Professor Chris Dickman, of The University of Sydney and the expert who made the estimate, told National Public Radio.

A woman feeds a young kangaroo wrapped in a makeshift pouch at the Raymond Island Koala and Wildlife shelter on Raymond Island in Australia, Jan. 6, 2020.
Christina Simons/The New York Times via Redux

The wildlife that has survived, by either fleeing or going underground, will face immense difficulties once they return to their natural habitat, according to Professor Dickman.

The resources they once lived off of will no longer be there to support them, he said.

Relief organizations have shared photos of the rescued animals, including some of them in the types of pouches and protective gear that volunteers are making.

ABC News' Ginger Zee and Ella Torres contributed to this report.

Related Topics

  • Australian Wildfires

Editor’s Picks

More than 1 billion animals estimated dead in Australia wildfires: Expert

  • Jan 08, 2020

24 Australians arrested for deliberately setting fires this season

  • Jan 07, 2020

Serena Williams, more stars to play charity tennis match for Australia fires

  • Jan 08, 2020

Up Next in Living—

June's full strawberry moon: See photos and what it means for your zodiac

June 11, 2025

High school athlete somersaults to track and field championship win

June 10, 2025

Michaels buys Joann brand, plans to expand crafting supply to meet demand

June 6, 2025

Approximately 1.7 million air conditioners voluntarily recalled for potential mold exposure

June 6, 2025

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2025 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2025 ABC News