Koalas return home to Australian bush after devastating summer fires

This is the heartwarming moment a family of Koalas rescued during Australia's summer bushfires returned to their natural habitat with a new member in tow.

Five of the marsupials — Jed, Yellow, Scully, Billa and Gulu — were removed from the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) earlier this year amid infernos that killed dozens of people as well as a billion native animals across the country — including thousands of Koalas.

On Thursday, they were finally returned to their home in the wild — 22 per cent of which was destroyed during the blazes — after a six-month stint at the Australian National University.

And going along with them was a new addition to the family: an as yet unnamed joey that was born in March.

Wildlife team leader Dr Sarah May told Australian broacaster Channel Nine news the animals knew exactly where they were and were delighted to be home.

"Everything's just coming back to normal, it's midway through the year and we're still getting our animals back so it's just this feeling that we're finally moving forward. We are getting back to a sense of normality," she said.

ACT Environment Minister Mick Gentleman said that the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve had now reopened to visitors, but added the nearby Namadgi National Park is still closed on account of ongoing work to clear the bushfire damage.

"We saw the habitat loss and the loss of animals as well, so it's wonderful to be able to see these animals return here," Mr Gentleman said.

"We've seen other animals return recently too, the rock wallabies, corroboree frogs and platypus as well so it's great to be able to assist nature come back to where it was prior to the bushfires."

Australia's devastating fire season, which lasted from September until torrential rains hit in February, affected a wilderness area the size of South Korea and also razed some 2,500 homes.