The victims were carried in one by one, their paws and fur burned, suffering from lack of water and fear. Their caretakers bandaged their wounds and laid them in baskets with the only thing that was familiar -- the leaves of a eucalyptus (桉树) tree.

As catastrophic fires have burned more than 2 million acres in Australia, dozens of koalas have been rescued from smoky and burning trees and ashen ground. "They are terrified," said Cheyne Flanagan, clinical director of the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, the only facility of its kind in the world.

Koalas, unlike kangaroos, birds or snakes, do not flee from fires but instead climb trees to the top, where they can curd themselves into a ball for protection and wait for the danger to pass. But during high-intensity fires, such as those that have burned in recent weeks, the animals, conservationists said, are far less likely to survive. Even if the fire itself does not reach the tree top, the animals may overheat and fall to the ground, where they can be burned to death.

The suffering of the koala -- a national symbol of Australia -- has raised questions among conservationists and scientists about what it will take to preserve biodiversity in a country increasingly prone to intense fire, extreme heat and water shortage. While koalas have evolved to exist alongside wildfires, the animals are facing new threats not just from climate change but also from human development, which has affected local populations, impairing their ability to survive fires.

"We have these unique animals not found anywhere else on this planet, and we're killing them," Flanagan said. "This is a big wake-up call."

Of late, the Chinese media have turned the spotlight on a woman named Li Ziqi, praising her for doing an excellent job of “telling China’s story to the world”. Li seems to have become an unofficial cultural ambassador showcasing China’s history and culture.

Li, 29, lives with her grandma in a small village of Mianyang. She has been posting videos of her daily life on social media platforms since March 2016 to connect to the world.

Her popularity online can be proved from these figures: on YouTube, Li’s “channel” has more than 7.61 million subscribers, and the figure is growing daily. On Sina Weibo, one of China’s most popular social media platforms, she has more than 21.5 million fans. And each of her 104 YouTube posts has been viewed between 2 million and over 40 million times.

Technically, the fine quality of her cinematographic output is the most eye-catching feature. The stunning scenery of Li’s village, her elegant yet confident way of getting jobs done, and the relaxing background music are all appealing to viewers. Culturally, what touches the heart of Li’s followers is the universal language of love, inner peace, caring for the family and love for nature. Many viewers find inspiration from Li’s posts. Others , tired of their technology driven fast paced urban life, find comfort in her simple and tranquil life.

Ironically, Li has not been as well received at home as overseas. Some critics question whether she alone filmed and edited her early posts. A few even accuse her of showcasing the “backwardness” of China to foreigners, while some argue that her presentation of rural China is imaginary. And recently, a debate has started on whether or not Li is “exporting” Chinese culture abroad.

But the fact that Li single-handedly produced her early works has been documented and publicized. And she cannot be blamed for having a small crew now that her filming and editing work has increased. As for “exporting culture”, Li has never claimed the responsibility of spreading Chinese culture to the world. What she does instead is merely recording and presenting her lifestyle to make a living.

Li’s popularity makes us reflect on what should be an effective way of “telling China’s story” to the world and changing the stereotype image of China described in some Western media.