Sam the Koala to Be Preserved In the Melbourne Museum

The body of quite possibly the most famous koala in Australian history, Sam the Koala will be preserved in the Melbourne Museum after he passed away during surgery earlier this week:

BUSHFIRE legend Sam the koala will be preserved and displayed in the Melbourne Museum as a symbol of February’s devastating fires.

Premier John Brumby confirmed that Sam’s carers had accepted an offer from the museum to display the koala, who died during surgery on Thursday.

The body of the champion racehorse Phar Lap is also on show at the museum, but it is not known if Sam will be displayed in the same vicinity, the Herald Sun reports.

Mr Brumby said having Sam in the museum would ensure her story and the story of the bushfires was told to the millions of Victorians and interstate and overseas visitors who come to the museum.

“We will never forget the people and communities affected by those fires and we will never forget the courage and kindness of the firefighters and volunteers who helped them,” he said.

“The story of Sam will help us to understand and remember the devastation that the events of February 2009 had on the people of this state and their extraordinary determination to recover and move forward with their lives.”  [Herald-Sun]

You can read more about the Koala Sam story here.