Hunter Valley Zoo has come up with the perfect way to pay tribute to hardworking firefighters with a name for their newest male koala.
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The eight-month-old joey has been named Fitzy in honour of the NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.
Koala keeper Karen Anderson said the zoo had been trying to figure out a name for the newborn koala and asked the general public for ideas.
"A lot of the feedback was asking for something to do with the RFS," she said.
"So we went straight to the top with the commissioner and thought Fitzy was an absolutely perfect name for him.
"The feedback has been really good."
The zoo didn't take in any koalas after the devastating bushfires as there were no blazes in close proximity to the Nulkaba premises but Ms Anderson said they wanted to pay respect to those who were affected.
Ms Anderson said Fitzy has begun to come out of his mum's pouch more and can often be seen crawling around her back.
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
