Local Australian reacts to the continent’s brush fires

HORSE CAVE, Ky. – Kentucky Down Under in Horse Cave is home to many of those same species that have perished in Australian wildfires. Many of those animals include kangaroos and dingoes.

An estimate from the University of Sydney suggests nearly half a billion animals have died.

Mick McGill, the general manager of operations at Kentucky Down Under, is from Australia.

“Australia is home. Australia is where all my childhood memories come from. Australia is where some of the happiest memories I have ever had come from, where some of the saddest I have ever had come from,” said McGill.

He says the thought of knowing animals are suffering and dying in his homeland is heartbreaking.

“It’s not something that is conceivable,” said McGill.

McGill says his family back home is safe, but a fire recently ignited in his hometown.

“There has been significant damage down there. I know the town I grew up in is actually facing some of those issues right now with the fires. And, the firetrucks are just very few and far in between,” said McGill.

Kentucky Down Under announced Monday they will donate half of their sales in the month of January to Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors, an organization dedicated to saving wildlife created by the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and his wife Terri.