For those unable to watch embedded videos here.
The story about Sam as reported by the Melbourne Herald Sun:
"A thirsty koala rescued from the Australian wildfires has become a star on YouTube, providing much-needed relief from the disaster that has killed more than 180 people.
Firefighter Dave Tree stumbled across the female marsupial, nicknamed Sam, as he was battling blazes in Victoria state and was amazed when the parched animal guzzled down water from a bottle as he held her scorched paw.
'Things do survive the bushfire ... are you alright buddy,' he says in the footage captured by a fellow volunteer on a mobile phone.
Mr. Tree described the koala as 'looking pretty bewildered'.
'This is amazing ... how much can a koala bear?' he said as he poured two bottles of water into her mouth.
"The most amazing part was when she grabbed my hand. I will never forget that."
Koalas' cuddly appearance sometimes leads to them being likened to teddy bears, although in reality they are notoriously ill-tempered and possess powerful claws capable of inflicting savage wounds.
However Sam sat placidly as the firefighter gently stroked her.
The clip has attracted more than 71,000 hits on YouTube and Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper is selling photographs of the extraordinary encounter, with proceeds going to volunteer firefighting organisations.
The animal suffered burns to her paws and was in a lot of pain, but was on the road to recovery at the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter.
She is one of 22 koalas, 14 ringtail possums, several wallabies and eastern grey kangaroos that have been handed into Gippsland carers.
However, wildlife experts fear millions of native animals may have been killed in the firestorm.
'It will be in the hundreds of thousands, possibly millions,' Gayle Chappell from the Hepburn wildlife shelter said.
'We are not just talking the animals we are familiar with, there are gliders and all sorts of possums, antechinus (a mouse-like marsupial), bandicoots, birds - there is so much wildlife.'
From another news account I read, Sam has made friends with a male koala rescued in the shelter where she's being cared for. The two koalas appear to have bonded and are hugging each other.
Donations can be made to the Red Cross in Australia.
