“Hey, koala! Watch out!” the jet black horse with glistening pure skin screamed as loud as he could, while pulling the koala’s hand with all his remaining strength.

Bump! The koala got brutally hit by a powerful, yet callous burning branch of a majestic mangrove in a wild forest which was utterly engulfed by a devastating inferno. The koala’s ear was injured and he was tightly holding the left leg of the horse to maintain his balance.

“Why is God doing this to us? Aren’t we worthy of living anymore?” the koala wiped the drops of sweat on his forehead.

The sky was turning orange and smoke and ashes had clogged the air. It was becoming nearly impossible to breathe.

“This catastrophic bush fire has ripped apart many of us. God is seeing all this but do you really think He is making us go through this worst scenario?” the horse asked in desperation as he tried to see a way to safety through the smoke around him.

“No! Not at all! It’s the follies of humans that have led to this happening to us,” the kangaroo who was listening vented her rage now. She had just lost her only child, who didn’t even leave her pouch, yet was unable to survive after inhaling the smoke. The blaze didn’t sympathise even with him.

“Their activities such as campfires, which they leave unattended, negligently discarded lit cigarettes, sparking electrical equipment, initiating fires to protect their own desired plants and the deliberate arson — all these lead to fires that get out of control. Humans are the real culprits who bring us to the verge of death,” the kangaroo caressed her empty pouch as she lamented.

“Hmmm, kangaroo you are right, but they are trying to rescue us too. I saw a man with yellow helmet yesterday who tried his level best to save a cow that was stuck in the fence and she was bleeding badly,” the horse’s attempt to console the kangaroo went in vain.

“They aren’t giving us any favours. They should end what they started. How lucky we would have been if these creatures on two feet had not reached Australia after Africa and Eurasia! Our relatives would have been alive too, including sloths, giant armadillos and marsupial lions. The waves of extinction are the result of their blunders and their selfish and self-centred nature. They want us to become extinct now so that they can easily walk on Earth without any fear. Victoria and New South Wales are burning and we can’t do anything,” the kangaroo said in rage.

The koala was listening quietly. He intervened after a couple of minutes, “The humans are not the only offenders of such wildfires! Natural lightning and climate change also contribute to such phenomena. Let’s pray for rain. God is merciful. He will send water to safeguard our habitat.”

“This climate change is also an outcome of men using coal and cutting trees, hence adding CO2 to be environment,” the innocent raccoon participated in the conversation too.

“Hey look! Rain!” The falling water didn’t seem as divine before now. Animals rejoiced and cherished each raindrop that proved to be life-giving.

The fauna of Australia has suffered enough due to the activities of humans, there is no room for further extinctions. This planet is for all — humans, flora and fauna. The world community needs to understand this!

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 1st, 2020