Sunday Selections #462

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.

Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.
  
The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle.
 
The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 
 
I usually run with a theme.

It is still hot.  It is still dry.  Our catastrophic fires continue across far too many states.  

The air quality in my city was assessed as being the worst in any capital city in the world for several days.  On New Year's Eve and New Years day the rating peaked at 5185.  Anything over 200 is considered hazardous.

Add caption

 Two shots showing the same view.  One shortly before sunrise, and the second an hour later.

It is still bad, and definitely in the hazardous zone.  We are advised to stay inside when possible (though the smoke gets in).  Businesses have closed their doors.  The postal service has been suspended.  And we are the lucky ones.

The end of last year and the start of this have been devastating.  Lives were lost (human and otherwise), homes were lost (human and otherwise).  Businesses destroyed.  Habitat destroyed. 

Early yesterday a figure of 12.35 million acres burnt in the 2019/2020 bush fires was quoted.  So far.

My heart aches.  Not least because I fear for the animals which survived the inferno.  Possibly injured, they face a dreadful search for food and water.

However, in the middle of the disasters and the tragedies there was some positive news.

 Close to Mogo, a very small town on the South Coast of New South Wales, there is a zoo.  It has recently been taken over and renamed Mogo Nature Park.  Among other animals it contains lions, tigers, giraffes and an extensive range of primates.  As fire approached the zoo owners/keepers faced a dreadful choice.  Evacuation of so many animals is specialised and complex and almost certainly couldn't be arranged in time.  Nor could they risk the big cats free ranging.  I suspect they were gritting their teeth and facing the ugly fact that killing the animals was a definite option.

However, the staff and the volunteers SAVED THE ZOO.  The link takes you to the story.  Not a single animal was lost.  They are not out of danger yet, but it was a wonderful thing to read.  Sadly Mogo itself didn't fare nearly as well.

My Sunday Selections photos this week come from visits we have made to the zoo over the years (these photos are from more than ten years ago).  A visit we will repeat when the danger is over and our presence and money can support the community.

I do hope that some of our native wildlife were able to take sanctuary there too.  So very much.

We have bushfires each and every summer.  This year they have started early and have been (and are) completely horrendous.  With no significant rain predicted before February/March at the earlier I fear for the future, and weep at the destruction revealed on a daily basis. 

If any of you wish to/have the ability to donate some suggested sites are here.