Australia wildfires: Family of Steve Irwin say they've treated 90,000 injured animals

Hundreds of millions of animals and birds have died in the blazes

Related: Australia's wildfire smoke reaches as far as Argentina (Getty Images)

The family of conservationist Steve Irwin say they’ve treated 90,000 animals amid the ongoing Australian wildfires.

Irwin, the late Australian star of TV shows such as The Crocodile Hunter, died in 2006 aged 44 after being stabbed by a stingray. His wife Terri is the owner of the Australia Zoo, where the pair’s children Bindi and Robert have also worked.

The zoo operates a wildlife hospital, which – according to its website – typically treats between 6,000 and 8,000 animals a year.

Robert and Bindi recently announced on social media that the facility has now treated 90,000 patients amid raging wildfires in Australia. Hundreds of millions of animals and birds have died in the blazes.

“With so many devastating fires within Australia, my heart breaks for the people and wildlife who have lost so much. I wanted to let you know that we are SAFE. There are no fires near us @AustraliaZoo or our conservation properties. Our Wildlife Hospital is busier than ever though, having officially treated over 90,000 patients,” Bindi wrote in an Instagram post.

Her brother Robert shared a photo of a platypus he said was the 90,000th patient treated at the facility.

“This is patient number 90,000 that the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital has treated,” he wrote. “‘Ollie’ the orphaned platypus is receiving round-the-clock care until he can be released back to the wild.”

In addition to decimating the animal population, the blazes have killed at least 25 people and scorched an area twice the size of the US state of Maryland. The fires are expected to flare up later this week when temperatures rise.

Additional reporting by agencies