This rabbit rescue was a source of criticism. She has now been released into the wild

At first, the man who reached into flames to save a wild rabbit from a 90,000-acre California wildfire was named a hero.

He was captured on video while kneeling, picking up and carrying the bunny away from the flames as they destroyed the habitat.

KABC reported that the man who risked his life did not want to be interviewed, but people on social media still called him a hero — until some said he hurt the animal more than he helped it.

Slate said he set a terrible precedent and that wild animals do not need to be saved from fires.

“In these dark times, I understand the tendency to turn to cute animals and stories of acts of kindness for pick-me-ups,” Torie Bosch wrote for Slate. “But trying to save wild animals from a fire is a stupid thing to do. We should not reward this behavior, and we should not encourage others to do the same.”

She argued that saving a wild animal is not worth risking your own life or others who may try to save you.

“Fire is something animals have to deal with constantly,” Peter Tira, a spokesperson for California Fish and Wildlife, told The San Francisco Chronicle.

“Fire or no fire, just let the animals be,” he said.

So, the rabbit hero was then criticized.

As for the rabbit?

She was returned to the wild on Jan. 18, about one month after she was rescued and treated for burns to her ears and toes. The burned tissue was surgically removed, but she can still hear and hop.

“While she couldn’t be returned to her exact location due to the deforestation and lack of vegetation, she was released in a nearby area that had plenty of food, water and shelter,” the California Wildlife Center posted.

The rabbit can be seen hopping away into its new home on the California coast.

This story was originally published January 21, 2018 at 11:40 AM with the headline "This rabbit rescue was a source of criticism. She has now been released into the wild."