Wrapped in towels and sandwiched between laundry baskets, Noisy the koala is released two months after being pulled from Australia’s devastating bushfires.

The two-year-old, nicknamed for the racket it made after being rescued, was a lucky survivor after its habitat was burnt to a crisp on Kangaroo Island, 150 miles off Adelaide.

Rescuers – including a Brit dubbed the Bushfire Angel – found the petrified mite starving and dehydrated.

But today, after a nightmare summer which left 34 people and a billion animals dead, Noisy’s return signals joy – and sheer relief – as Australia slowly returns to normal.

He is one of 70 critters who were saved and rehabilitated by a dedicated team from charity Humane Society International at emergency stations set up on the island. Volunteers cheered as Noisy returned to the treetops.

Noisy is transported to his new home in a makeshift carrier made from washing baskets

British HSI worker Georgie Dolphin – the so-called Angel – says: “My heart felt like it was about to burst with joy watching as Noisy left and effortlessly ascended the tree, peering down at us as if to say, ‘I’m home’!

“Sam from the Wildlife Park had located the perfect release location – a lush green area filled with blue gum trees… koala heaven!

“Knowing that koalas you’ve helped save have healed well enough to be released back into the wild is exactly what it’s all about – nothing really comes close.

“Now we will make every effort to do what we can to protect their future and give them the best chance possible.”

Georgie Dolphin with another rescued koala called Skylah who sadly never recovered from the fire

Noisy was “particularly vocal” after he was rescued. But Georgie adds: “Unfortunately most koalas were not very vocal while in the trees – a shame as it would have been much easier to locate them.”

Australia’s wretched bushfires finally eased six weeks ago after ripping through 46 million acres and destroying 9,000 buildings.

Half of Kangaroo Island, more than 800 square miles, was blitzed and two locals died.

The island is dubbed Noah’s Ark for its remarkable range of wildlife.

Georgie, who grew up on a farm in Berkshire, tells the Sunday Mirror how a makeshift team of vets, volunteers and wildlife experts found charred animals cowering amid the embers and koalas stranded in trees.

A rehabilitated and released koala takes a final glimpse at its human rescuers before returning to their old life

Creatures that did survive were in desperate need of food and water.

Georgie, whose heroics were revealed by the Mirror in January, explains: “Wildlife Park staff have been doing a truly remarkable job caring for huge numbers of survivors around the clock.

"Early victims had terrible burns and warranted extensive treatment.

“Later, the koalas we rescued were severely dehydrated and in desperate need of food. Most of the trees had crispy brown leaves offering no nutrition what-soever. Dehydration can result in organ failure and their gut health is critical.

"If they have been starved, it’s essential for their gut to start functioning properly again, giving them a much better chance of survival.

"Some were ready to be released after just a day or two of care.”

Tragically, just 30 per cent of the rescued animals survived. They included possums and hedge-hog-like echidnas.

Georgie goes on: “It’s a sombre reminder of the extent of their injuries and the scale of this heart-wrenching bushfire disaster.

“This was sadly the case for a koala we named Skylah. Our CEO Erica Martin spotted her hunched over like a fluffy brown ball at the base of a tree – she was clearly very weak.

“When she lay motionless and defeated in a basket on my lap in the car I fought back tears thinking that we were about to lose her, there and then.

Georgie with a baby koala saved from the devastating inferno

“We found an intensive care enclosure for her and, to our amazement, when we offered her some blue gum leaves she suddenly transformed and a new lease of life seemed to gush through her.

“Yet despite the dedication and determination by the amazing vet team giving her fluids, medication and ground leaf, she deteriorated day after day. You can only imagine our devastation when she tragically succumbed to her injuries.

“We feel blessed that we relieved her of some suffering. Emotions ran high on Kangaroo Island. It was a rollercoaster ride. Thankfully, many of the koalas we rescued won their fight to survive.”

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HSI has met with the Aussie government to look at ways of preserving species and secure habitats on the island.

Georgie adds: “Those that survived now have a fighting chance and a very promising future. We know how precious each of these animals is and we certainly don’t want to risk losing such an astonishing Aussie icon, the koala

“We need to work together to make sure the odds are in their favour.”