tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86475313458906816412012-01-28T19:52:07.209+11:00I’m one of 120 volunteers who help to care for sick and injured koalas at the Koala Hospital Port Macquarie, NSW Australia. I’m not a vet, scientist, or animal specialist — just someone who can’t imagine Australia without koalas in it. You can help us help koalas by Adopting a Wild Koala!Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.comBlogger1411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-35658294768282260362011-10-28T15:43:00.015+11:002011-10-28T16:26:38.902+11:00

Roto Randy is a koala we see here almost every week around the Koala Hospital, even if he is not a patient of ours. Randy lives in the Nature Reserve where the Koala Hospital is located. He has his favourite trees around the Hospital where we often see him eat or sleep.Randy is a handsome male around the age of 8. Even the girls think that he is handsome, that's why is name is "Randy":In 2007 he

Yonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899486374056184905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-64182286154591238762011-10-06T11:26:00.014+11:002011-10-13T12:06:24.575+11:00

Look at this very cute Joey! Isn't she adorable!? I sure think she is! :) Findlay Xena was found lying in the gutter outside a school about a month ago. There was no mother around, so we took her into the Koala Hospital. We don't know what happened to her, but she was really flat and didn't respond to us. She couldn't sit up and kept falling over. She was not grabbing with her hind feet. This

Yonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899486374056184905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-3568966516543376202011-09-06T14:36:00.021+10:002011-10-09T20:06:53.603+11:00

Meet Oxley Kaylee, an amazing koala with an unique story:Kaylee has been admitted to the Koala Hospital three times since the end of 2007. The first time she was hit by a car and the second time she was found sitting in the middle of the main road. But is was the third time in 2009 that gave her the nickname "Tripod":Oxley Kaylee was spotted by a motorist (on the same main road!) with a tiny Joey

Yonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899486374056184905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-81550730150360451552011-08-22T16:20:00.009+10:002011-10-09T20:06:27.756+11:00

Dunbogan Dave came down to check out the fresh leaf. I'm not sure he likes it. :) See for yourself on this video:Crestwood Matilda also wanted to have a look at the leaf. But Dave decided that he was the only one allowed on the gunyah and tried to chase Matilda away...In the end Matilda succeeded and found a nice spot to eat her breakfast.Did you know that these two adorable koalas are up for

Yonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899486374056184905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-9602044656928053402011-08-14T14:50:00.012+10:002011-10-09T20:06:03.626+11:00

Have you ever seen a koala eat bark? Well, I didn't! That was, until last week.I finished feeding Edward Elly and she climbed up the tree. At first I thought she was biting her arm because of a tick or something, but I soon saw that she was really eating bark!Eating bark is part of their diet, so it isn't really strange that Elly was doing it. But because you don't see them doing it often, I

Yonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899486374056184905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-174338433421643912011-08-03T17:49:00.018+10:002011-10-09T20:05:16.211+11:00

Last week and today we had a few things happening at the Koala Hospital. We had three releases, I had a night rescue and as of this week Barrys alter ego has his own Facebook Page!OXLEY HIGHWAY MATTThe first release was last week on Wednesday. We released Oxley Highway Matt, who we treated for chlamydia. He has been with us before in 2009 with a fractured pelvis.Matt is a gentle male koala around

Yonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899486374056184905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-91181847892667395352011-07-19T16:38:00.030+10:002011-07-21T17:00:33.902+10:00

When I was walking around the yards I saw that two of the Joeys in yard 6 (the Joey yard) were down and eating their leaf. I went over to have a look and saw it was Dunbogan Dave and Crestwood Matilda.Here is a short video of them:Did you know that you can "adopt" Dunbogan Dave and Crestwood Matilda (which helps raise money for the Koala Hospital)?Dunbogan DaveCrestwood MatildaCrestwood Matilda

Yonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899486374056184905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-74308347034619200942011-07-11T16:02:00.027+10:002011-07-12T12:18:35.492+10:00

Acacia Tim is a beautiful big (9,7 kg!) koala around 7 years old.He came first to the Koala Hospital in 2006. He had conjuctivitis. That is a Chlamydia bacteria in the eyes.He was treated and released again.On 12-05-2011 Tim was admitted again for the same reason: conjuctivitis. He was found near the Post Office and could hardly see anything through his eyes.We treated Tim with the Bioptron along

Yonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00899486374056184905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-63150232690497837232011-06-06T19:39:00.012+10:002011-06-06T19:45:28.203+10:00

A class of enterprising kindergarten kids in San Diego, California, USA, have raised money doing household chores in order to adopt not one but TWO koalas from the Koala Hospital. You can read about their hard work here. The koalas these kindy youngsters adopted were: Links VTR Linksie came to the Hospital as a tiny 375 gram joey, whose mother had to be euthanased after a motor vehicle accident

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-71128822497969609162011-05-28T14:58:00.000+10:002011-05-28T14:58:55.813+10:00

I was strolling around the Hospital grounds the other morning and noticed one of the joeys in the joey yard perched in the bough of a tree. Dunbogan Dave From koalawrangler's gallery. I decided to go into the yard to check things out and found that it was the handsome Dunbogan Dave! Did you know that you can "adopt" Dave (which helps raise money for the Koala Hospital)? Dunbogan Dave

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-41275441154150413732011-03-26T20:33:00.008+11:002011-03-26T20:41:21.195+11:00

This little old guy was holding up 'traffic' on Hamlyn Drive (actually he mostly was the traffic), before I shepherded him towards some trees at the top of the street. Wild koala walking up Hamlyn Drive From koalawrangler's gallery. Wild koala walking up Hamlyn Drive From koalawrangler's gallery. Wild koala walking up Hamlyn Drive From koalawrangler's gallery. Wild koala

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-85844424733652691962011-03-26T20:13:00.015+11:002011-03-26T20:43:34.946+11:00

Armidale Clyde From koalawrangler's gallery. Clyde came to us from the New England town of Armidale, some four hours' drive away from Port Macquarie. He was suffering from the chlamydial eye infection, conjunctivitis. He gets brought into the treatment room for his eye treatments, followed by a nice feed. Here is Clyde having a ear-rub before being escorted back to his unit by Peter.

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-21265201489237052292011-03-26T15:23:00.004+11:002011-03-26T20:22:35.848+11:00

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-44841701841941089682011-03-26T14:42:00.002+11:002011-03-26T14:43:38.636+11:00

Dunbogan Audrey From koalawrangler's gallery. This is the beautiful Dunbogan Audrey who was admitted looking a little tawdry in November 2010. She was carrying a joey, called Dunbogan Dave. After some R&R, Audrey was released but Dave is still with us at the Hospital practising his climbing skills and gaining weight ahead of his release.

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-60706869252268201112010-09-02T19:20:00.009+10:002010-09-02T20:07:08.442+10:00

This beautiful little creature is Georgie, a tiny baby koala who was orphaned and came into the care of Sue Swain, one of our friends at the Hunter Koala Preservation Society near Port Stephens, north of Sydney. Georgie weighed only 212 grams when she came into Sue's care after Georgie's Mum had died as the result of a dog attack. The mother was a very young koala herself and it is believed

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-52241187404268591442010-08-27T16:44:00.002+10:002010-08-27T16:47:21.396+10:00

My heart really went out to Coastlands Steve today. Firstly, it’s the second time he’s been in that, that I’m aware of. Last time, he was hit by a car and spent considerable time in homecare under the watchful eye of Joyce. Now he's back in the Hospital again. And today, he was a bit out of sorts. Coastlands Steve From koalawrangler's gallery. He was missing from his yard when Pete did his

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-28075207281695439842010-06-26T16:01:00.001+10:002010-06-30T09:40:47.219+10:00

Cole Porter might have had Lighthouse Noni in mind back in the day when he penned the classic song "Don't Fence Me In".Of course, no koala *wants* to be confined to a fenced yard, let alone an indoor unit, as is the case in our ICU. But treatment at the Koala Hospital involves something of a balancing act between giving koalas a little of the kind of freedom they enjoy in the wild, but not giving

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-82695242959092408072010-06-06T16:20:00.006+10:002010-06-06T18:17:33.556+10:00

Click on the cover above to download (5MB) the latest issue of Gum Tips, the Koala Hospital newsletter!

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-71474211825493425292010-04-10T12:46:00.017+10:002010-04-11T12:30:21.271+10:00

I spent a bit of time with Oxley Carl last Sunday. He’s been moved to an outside yard after a week or so in ICU. He's old and debilitated and his ears reflect this. Healthy koalas usually have big, round, perky ears. Poor Carl’s ears drooped so flat against his head, he looked a bit like he was wearing fluffy earmuffs. Oxley CarlFrom koalawrangler's gallery. When koalas are placed in the outside

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-13732416373117404042010-04-10T12:27:00.007+10:002010-04-10T13:38:15.448+10:00

I had an email from a researcher at the University of Massachusetts whose speciality is the formation of patterns on surfaces, such as fingerprints. The reason he contacted me is that he wanted to use the photo I’d taken of the sole of a koala’s foot during an ultrasound. Lighthouse Di's feet From koalawrangler's gallery. Yet another thing that makes koalas unique is that their fingerprints

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-73192642417464224862010-03-28T12:00:00.018+11:002010-04-11T12:35:44.783+10:00

Yes, it's been an appallingly long time since I've written a blog post. I've been a bit koala-d out from doing Gum Tips (the quarterly newsletter, which you can download here), maintaining the Hospital's facebook page, and planning the new architecture for the Hospital computers.But today I was just plain old koalawrangler on the Sunday morning shift. It was a beautiful Spring day, a bit muggy

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-90632359766831425912010-01-31T11:35:00.007+11:002010-01-31T12:49:53.846+11:00

The first thing I notice upon returning to my blog is that the t-shirt I'm wearing in the masthead photo is very very blue. I had a fit of housewife brilliance the other week and decided the only way to get the brown dirt and green eucalyptus stains out of said shirt was to soak it in bleach. I promptly forgot about it and - hey presto! - I found myself with one pale lilac shirt, with glimmers of

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-23227044405525896752009-12-08T11:24:00.003+11:002009-12-08T11:38:52.912+11:00

An interesting article in the Courier Mail regarding research into what the unique bellow of the male koala means:"Study confirms bellowing is music of love to female koalas"You can hear the sounds of both the male and female koalas before mating here (caught on my mobile phone voice recorder last week!): Click here to view the latest koala hospital snaps.

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-76019079490538160292009-12-08T09:39:00.005+11:002009-12-08T09:47:48.784+11:00

The December issue of Gum Tips, the Koala Hospital newsletter, is out now!Click on the cover to download it or browse past issues of Gum Tips here.

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-55481603247914696802009-11-06T08:40:00.011+11:002009-11-06T09:01:54.484+11:00

Although the Koala Hospital was not involved, here's a koala story to warm the cockles of your heart.... A koala managed to find its way into a zone substation on the mid north coast. Electrical technicians were called in to deal with the misplaced marsupial. They enlisted the help of some local wildlife volunteers to relocate the koala safely to some nearby bushland. The story was reported in

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-60863265149420815562009-10-05T18:03:00.013+11:002009-10-09T12:14:11.501+11:00

Wild male koala in Nulla Close From koalawrangler's gallery. Friends of mine were visiting from out of town this morning and they were delighted by a wild koala sighting as we were on our way out to breakfast.I saw the speckly-grey one galloping across the McLaren Drive (fortunately near the koala corridor where residents know to slow down), before shooting up a tree in Nulla Close.He had a

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-24274549030821604012009-10-01T22:12:00.005+10:002009-10-02T08:48:20.345+10:00

It's that time of year again, when the "noise you never forget" starts wafting through the night air, often at the most inconvenient times, such as 3am when we humans are in a deep sleep. Yawn.Just tonight at about 9.45pm, our neighbourhood was serenaded by one big-lunged koala male. He was in the tree in next door's yard. His mating call went on for so long that I managed to catch some of it on

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-38183489509770159772009-08-25T17:33:00.007+10:002009-08-25T19:34:05.334+10:00

The Honorable Peter Garrett, Federal Minister for the Environment, visited the Koala Hospital today. He pledged his support for the addition of koalas to the threatened species list.First he met with Barb who told him about hand-rearing the joey, Settlement Point Bea: Peter Garrett discusses koala pap with Barb and Settlement Point Bea From koalawrangler's gallery. Earlier I had caught young

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-50420278652382573542009-08-24T15:43:00.010+10:002009-08-24T16:54:51.357+10:00

"Have you met Matt?" Peter asked me as we headed towards yard 5. There were no leaf pots on the gunyah, the usual sure sign that a koala was occupying that yard. And no sign of a koala either, that is until I approached the fence and looked down... Oxley Highway Matt From koalawrangler's gallery. Two large buckets of water were arrayed on the ground and spilling over with bunches of fresh

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-90239459764634178672009-08-17T14:39:00.010+10:002009-08-17T16:59:24.368+10:00

Daiquiri with her little joey by Livingstone Clover From koalawrangler's gallery. One of our former residents, a male koala called Livingstone Clover, has done us proud. Clover was unable to be returned to the wild due to a hindleg injury, so he was 'retired' to Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park back in late 2007. Except that he's not of retirement age, and aside from his gammy leg, is an

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-24192538931338173012009-07-31T18:37:00.001+10:002009-08-16T18:55:39.034+10:00

I had heard that an old friend of ours was back at the Koala Hospital, so I decided to pay him a visit. It wasn't the best decision I could have made. Read on and you'll see why. Granite Murray From koalawrangler's gallery. Granite Murray, the old friend in question, is a handsome male koala who spent some time at the hospital about 18 months ago. Back then, Murray was placed in a recovery

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-88068001376789106602009-06-12T08:37:00.003+10:002009-06-12T08:48:20.914+10:00

The June issue of Gum Tips, the Koala Hospital newsletter, is out now!Click on the cover to download it or browse other issues of Gum Tips here.

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-88243189032743110522009-05-11T17:35:00.004+10:002009-05-11T17:55:37.185+10:00

Salamander Bay Shazza From koalawrangler's gallery. Salamander Bay Shazza is a delightful female joey 'on loan' to us from our friends at the Native Animal Trust Fund in Port Stephens. By 'on loan' I mean, of course, that Shazza no longer needed the special attention of home care and was ready to practise being a proper koala. This means having access to good climbing trees in a safe

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-28617502561516740462009-05-05T07:28:00.007+10:002009-05-05T07:51:04.645+10:00

Some people with a little too much time on their hands...but, hey, they want to save the koala!

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-41144330824397298642009-03-23T17:47:00.013+11:002009-03-23T18:45:36.832+11:00

Speaking of pinkies, meet Nigel. Nigel the orphaned baby wombat From koalawrangler's gallery. Nigel is an orphaned baby wombat. Wombats, for those who don't know, are actually the koala's closest relative. In fact wombats are even a bit smarter than our favourite tree-dwelling, folivorous marsupial (their brains are more convoluted).I'm told that our intrepid team of relief koalawranglers

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-54738716058886241192009-03-23T13:15:00.007+11:002009-03-23T14:06:27.734+11:00

I wrote a post about the rescue of Joanne the baby kangaroo and a follow-up indicating that she was doing well.A fellow blogger has commented that a baby kangaroo (or koala, for that matter) seems to be called a “joey” one minute and a “pinky” (or "pinkie") the next. I thought I should explain why this is in more detail here.Briefly, "joey" is the generic name for the babies of most marsupials,

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-11724121098923539922009-03-22T10:33:00.003+11:002009-03-23T14:15:23.132+11:00

I must confess that when I posted that story about a friend of mine rescuing a baby kangaroo, I was a bit worried the wee little pinky might not make it.Then I caught up with the same friend last week. I was delighted to hear that WIRES had called her a little while after the event with some good news. The pinky joey had survived and was doing well! She is being cared for by a local pinky expert

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-31571731628609830682009-03-13T10:43:00.019+11:002009-03-15T19:07:10.494+11:00

They wanted to keep it low-key, just go down and get the job done without fanfare, but the news that four of our experienced Koala Hospital staff and volunteers heading off to help in the Victorian firegrounds and wildlife care facilities has hit NBN TV.See Port Koala Carers Help Victoria [includes video interview]. Koala Hospital's wildlife bushfire rescue team heads off From koalawrangler's

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-50002897797815584162009-03-06T08:52:00.010+11:002009-03-23T14:15:23.137+11:00

A friend of mine was on the road recently and found herself taking a detour to collect a young marsupial passenger. Pinky kangaroo From koalawrangler's gallery. Here is what she said:When I was driving to Bathurst this morning about 30kms our side of Oberon, I saw a dead kangaroo on the road. I thought I saw something move near the roo so at the next driveway I did a U-turn and went back to

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-89287942584109617692009-03-02T14:10:00.005+11:002009-03-02T15:16:18.036+11:00

The March issue of Gum Tips, the Koala Hospital newsletter, is out now!Click on the cover to download it or browse other issues of Gum Tips here.

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793399513642986477noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-34112373291321287352009-02-17T16:00:00.004+11:002009-02-17T16:27:24.189+11:00

I haven't written anything in response to the horrific fires in Victoria and their devastating toll on koalas and other Australian wildlife primarily because I am unspeakably saddened by the whole thing.The Koala Hospital has been in regular contact with carers in Victoria who are treating wildlife there and we have offered the support of our expertise and personnel if they need it. At this stage

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-70046394599580708202009-01-22T08:38:00.010+11:002009-01-22T09:12:58.009+11:00

I often get lovely emails from people around the world who have questions about the Hospital or simply messages of support for the work we do. The other day I received a note from a Mum who had adopted Bonny Blaze for her 10-year-old son, Davide. Here is a message from Davide himself and a lovely photo of him with his much-prized adoption certificate:Domenica, 18 Gennaio 2009, 10:29Hi, I'm Davide

Samnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-24905096370878076542009-01-16T18:50:00.002+11:002010-03-24T14:59:18.995+11:00

Bonny's joey From broken_puzzle's gallery. Well, readers, the first day of 2009 carried with it some sad and unexpected news. Bonny Fire, the doyenne of yard 9, drew her last breath in the early hours of 1 January 2009. Bonny had been her same old self – bright, alert and maintaining a good weight – right up until Christmas. But between Christmas and new year, she began to refuse her

Samnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-47811733789237401452008-12-26T23:14:00.003+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.845+11:00

It's a sign! From youngdoo's gallery. It started with a little press release, suggesting that adopting a koala for Christmas might be a more meaningful way to spend your dough than buying Dad the ubiquitous three-pack of socks from Lowes. The story -- Forget socks, adopt a koala for Christmas -- got picked up by Reuters and went viral. The message to adopt a koala for a loved one for

Samnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-92202297152856475292008-12-08T15:17:00.015+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.848+11:00

Bowden Sam From broken_puzzle's gallery. A few months ago we moved to a part of Port Macquarie that is well-trafficked by koalas (and not so well-trafficked by traffic, fortunately). We discovered the "koality" of the neighbourhood when the cries of a pair of loved-up wahlees (as we call them in the trade) lullabied us to sleep one Spring night. Our new "habitat" butts against a green-belt

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-56811521270406523992008-12-08T13:26:00.001+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.850+11:00

The December issue of Gum Tips, the Koala Hospital newsletter, is out now!Click on the cover to download it or browse other issues of Gum Tips here.

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-37339769221314802832008-11-26T18:19:00.021+11:002010-03-17T20:31:11.721+11:00

I do rather enjoy the visual of Barb decked out in her winter woolies at 8 o'clock of a night with a frisky young joey scampering about her...*singing* "Bea-cause bea-cause bea-cause bea-cause bea-cauuuusssse...bea-cause of the wonderful things she does!"Do I appear to be lost in a Wizard of Oz reverie (coupled with confused spelling)? No! It's just that I'm in a state of mild u-phoria, make that

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-71838924378374450882008-10-15T16:48:00.019+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.859+11:00

Siren Gem From broken_puzzle's gallery. I've fallen into being more computerwrangler than koalawrangler lately. Most of my koala-related time has been spent connecting printers in the Hospital office and working with the Hospital Supervisor to update the much awaited second edition of our Koala Rehabilitation Manual. I've also helped publish the latest issue of Gum Tips, the Hospital's

Samnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-85396471381218714512008-10-13T07:06:00.009+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.861+11:00

Koala habitat - our backyard From koalawrangler's gallery. Just after my partner and I had turned in for the night, a curious sound had us sitting bolt upright in the bed."What is it?""I don't know!""It sounds like...""It could be...""...a koala!We jumped out of bed and ran outside. It was a koala mating call, all right. But we realised the noise wasn't coming from directly outside the room (

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-30074376893391679082008-10-11T08:20:00.018+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.864+11:00

Bonny Fire & Bonny Blaze From koalawrangler's gallery. Yes, that's right, Bonny Fire's precious little bundle now has a name: Bonny Blaze.And Blaze is now available for adoption by clicking here! What a great Christmas gift -- a certificate bearing Blaze's photo and personalised with your recipient's name, and the satisfaction that your donation has helped the hospital continue to care for

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-31776944115053635142008-09-04T06:22:00.016+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.866+11:00

Wiruna Lucky was a beautiful old koala who shared the "old girls' yard", yard 9, with Bonny Fire, Birthday Girl (until recently) and dear Cloudie. Wiruna Lucky From broken_puzzle's gallery. Like Cloud, she seemed to be a fixture in the place. As an elderly koala needing extra nutrition and hydration, she was fed formula twice a day, which sometimes meant locating her in the vast area of

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-50823323482385368582008-07-20T21:32:00.005+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.868+11:00

Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for: a glimpse of Bonny's precious bundle of fluff's face... on video!I've put together a collection of video's I've taken of the joey peeping out of Bonny's pouch & being cute:

koalawrangler Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02875333992237404787noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-88941733644939981132008-07-02T18:00:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.870+11:00

Just two weeks ago, Bonny Fire was tantalising us all with her delightfully puckered pouch and the promise of joey within! She was down from her favourite tree a lot more than usual, getting her extra fill of freshly delivered leaf now that she's eating for two. Bonny's full pouch From koalawrangler's gallery. Then, unexpectedly, a little arm would shoot out... Oy! Whose arm is that?

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-25517711464055064362008-06-19T11:32:00.002+10:002009-03-23T14:16:26.200+11:00

Possy Possum at 52 grams From koalawrangler's gallery. Strictly speaking, Possy wasn't really in the hospital's care, but rather in Cheyne's, the hospital supervisor. Cheyne fed Possy around the clock at home and brought him into the koala hospital every day on her motorbike, tucked safely into her leather jacket. Possy spent the day in the humidicrib which is usually reserved for pinkies (

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-2620355573906545482008-06-19T09:00:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.875+11:00

When last we left little Noah, he was extending his stay in Port Macquarie by a few more weeks. His weight was a bit lower than we'd have liked, and we wanted to be sure young Noah would have everything in his favour before we released him back into the world.By the beginning of May, Noah was ready for his big trip back to his home range down near Port Stephens, over two and half hours away from

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-4340098985204932782008-04-06T15:17:00.002+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.877+11:00

Cheyne examining Noah From koalawrangler's gallery. Little Noah has been "on loan" to us from our friends at Native Animal Trust Fund for the last few months. He is an orphan, like our other joeys, and has been sharing a yard with three girls until he grows big enough to be returned to his home range down south. You can read more about Noah here.There's been a note on the board for the last

Samnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-49033489024729342792008-04-03T16:41:00.006+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.879+11:00

koalawrangler and...? From broken_puzzle's gallery. Yes, I've managed to accrue my 15 minutes of fame by sharing the cover of the local phone directory with one of our lovely rescued koalas.The lovely people at Local Directories were given thousands of koala photos to choose from and, for some reason, they decided on one featuring yours truly!I will be signing copies of the directory in

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-23188897531342598392008-02-28T14:37:00.004+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.886+11:00

Granite Murray is still in ICU and receiving treatment as part of the Sydney uni trials. It's all in the name of curing chlamydia. He seems happy to receive his 100ml of formula and takes it without a bit of fuss. Below you can see my five-step feeding-bagging method for Granite Murray: 1. Feed him. About 100ml ought to do it. 2. Give him a comforting little pat.3. Whip the bag over his

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-58893186468499503692008-02-28T14:30:00.005+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.888+11:00

One Mile Beach Noah & Oxley Holly From koalawrangler's gallery. It's not easy being the only boy koala occupying a single tree with three girls. Just ask One Mile Beach Noah.As a relative newcomer to yard 6, Noah has made his home in one of the lower forks of the yard's tree. The spot has become a favourite for him; you often see him flopped in the crook of its branches, arms and legs

Samnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-4812406626659384852008-02-22T11:16:00.006+11:002009-03-23T14:16:26.204+11:00

The MumBonny Fire From broken_puzzle's gallery. The alleged love rat Dad Roto Randy From broken_puzzle's gallery. First we thought she WAS pregnant, then we thought she wasn't...but, now, thanks to some indisputable evidence caught on camera this week, we're positive that long-time hospital resident Bonny Fire is officially "in the family way", "with pinkie" or "up the pouch"! And the father

Samnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-36697138165054300762008-02-21T11:37:00.004+11:002009-03-23T14:16:26.207+11:00

Settlers Inn Casey (L), William Krystal (C) & One Mile Beach Noah (R) From koalawrangler's gallery. Up until August 2007, the hospital had been aflush with joeys; there were always one or two little orphans being left to grow and build up their "koala skills" in the safe environment of yard 6, pending release. Lady Nelson Woody, Belah Irwin and Oxley Lucky were residents in the joey yard when

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-1002282768799106422008-02-14T16:04:00.005+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.895+11:00

William Krystal From koalawrangler's gallery. Well, it happened like this...Being the Australia Day long weekend, the usual Saturday arvo crew were taking a break. As lots of people were pouring into Port Macquarie for the weekend, Port Macquarians were pouring out. There wasn't even a spare teamleader available to run the Saturday afternoon shift. This might just be a job for....

Samnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-39964235301989572262008-02-14T16:00:00.005+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.896+11:00

Hamlyn Bev wants out! From koalawrangler's gallery. I filled in as teamleader for the first time this week. Amanda is on holidays so I'm being 'her' for three whole Thursdays in a row.I'd shadowed Amanda several times in the past and even then I'm not one to leave things to chance: I typed up a checklist spelling out everything I had to do, step-by-step.7.01 Make sure alarm is off - check.7.02

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-26191842177215162002008-02-14T15:30:00.001+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.898+11:00

Newport Bridge Gloria From koalawrangler's gallery. When I drove in this morning, there was a koala trap set up around one of the towering gums that overhangs yard 9. What's that about, I wonder?I see there's been a koala shuffle afoot in the last week: the koala in yard 2 is NOT Warrego Martin. All I can tell at first glance is that it's one of the girls, I'm just not sure which yet. I'm

Samnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-27707979678289149682008-02-14T15:15:00.001+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.900+11:00

Possum From koalawrangler's gallery. I was coming up the hospital driveway the other day, driving slowly as you tend to do since there are wild koalas who live in the grounds. I noticed something smack dab in the middle of the driveway. It could easily have been a piece of bark, but something made me look twice and I realised that it was a possum lying face-first on the ground. I just

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-10674651867609226052008-02-14T15:00:00.001+11:002009-03-23T14:16:26.210+11:00

Oxley Westi and joey Oxley Holly From koalawrangler's gallery. I've been busy spreading a rumour concerning the possibility that one of our yard 9 resident koalas, Bonny Fire, *might be* "with pinkie" (i.e., carrying an unfurred joey in her pouch). If the truth be known, the rumour mill started with the hospital supervisor, Cheyne, who can smell pouch grease at 50 paces. "Pouch grease" is

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-6444554820396772008-02-13T16:31:00.005+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.904+11:00

Holy Cuteness, the blog dedicated to documenting the cutest critters in the animal kingdom, has taken a shine to our Granite Murray.See the Holy Cuteness post below:Click here to see even more photos of the handsome Granite Murray.

Samnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-60228192943937174282008-01-28T16:42:00.002+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.906+11:00

Granite Murray From koalawrangler's gallery. Granite Murray, a large handsome male koala in our care, has spent several weeks in ICU being treated for "wet bottom". He's recently been shifted to an outside yard to complete his recovery, and spends most of his time high up his tree. Today he came down for formula, but didn't shoot straight back up the tree afterwards. Instead, he paused

Samnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-2742101758487280822008-01-10T14:25:00.000+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.910+11:00

Hamlyn Bev & Sam From koalawrangler's gallery. Alas, it can pay not to keep your hopes up regarding certain koalas. Sometimes a koala whose unit you've cleaned one week might take a turn for the worse and not be there at your next shift. I had been especially concerned about Hamlyn Bev and Bangalay Millie, both wet bottoms who’d been rescued during my shift on Thursday - Hamlyn Bev by

Samnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-35834916307423201062008-01-09T14:20:00.000+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.912+11:00

Ocean Joseph From koalawrangler's gallery. Well, today had the makings of a regular Thursday, after the yuletide madness of Christmas and Boxing Day. I got assigned Kempsey Carolina and Ocean Joseph today. Both get a feed so I headed off to visit my friend Kempsey, who quickly drew a crowd as she slurped up her formula.The leaf was already cut and laid out so I made short shrift of her yard

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-32457117479632949992008-01-08T14:19:00.000+11:002009-03-23T14:16:26.213+11:00

Deb feeding Warrego Martin From koalawrangler's gallery. It was a quiet Christmas this year, with no family in town, so we volunteered to work on Christmas morning. There were supposed to be a few of the usual volunteers away so it seemed like a nice thing to do, and an uplifting way to start the day.The weather is glorious; clear and bright and not at all humid. We spray ourselves

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-88549263681863975292008-01-07T14:06:00.000+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.916+11:00

Warrego Martin From koalawrangler's gallery. It's been a while since I've run through a day in the life of the koalawrangler. So here goes.It's my usual Thursday shift. Trish, Jackie, Jared, Jan, Brooke, and Alison the international vollie from Canada.Amanda asks me if I have a preference which koalas I do. I ask if I can do Warrego Martin's yard. I was aghast when I first heard he was back

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-16619310132653663102007-12-11T16:44:00.000+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.918+11:00

Tasman Lesley From broken_puzzle's gallery. When little Tasman Lesley first came to us, I don't think anyone believed that she would pull through. She was hit by a car on Tasman Road, a suburban street that runs from Granite Street through to the ironically named Koala Street.She was kept on oxygen for a couple of days when she first came in. The first time I saw her was during a visit to

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-16489959105460863822007-12-10T16:15:00.001+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.920+11:00

Excuse me, waiter, there's a koala in my salad!Lindfield Holden From koalawrangler's gallery. Lindfield Holden From broken_puzzle's gallery. Another sorry fellow with a foot injury who's been through the hospital doors lately is Lindfield Holden. He was hit by car #1 (brand unknown) which stopped and was slammed into car #2, a Holden. Both Lindfield and the Holden lived to tell the tale:

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-57525922093066178012007-12-09T16:01:00.000+11:002009-01-05T11:58:02.921+11:00

Salamander Bay Josie From broken_puzzle's gallery. We've had a couple of koalas with us recently with quite debilitating foot injuries. Salamander Bay Josie, a female, was attacked by a dog who managed to pull the skin and muscle away from the bone of her foot (called "degloving"). Josie was in a poor way when she came to us. She was placed in ICU, on the low beam of a gunyah there so that

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-44573032216054159252007-12-08T15:03:00.001+11:002009-03-23T14:16:26.217+11:00

Roto Randy has Abigail & joey out on a limb! From koalawrangler's gallery. Apologies koala fans, for my recent blog absence. Given my unknown whereabouts, you'd be forgiven for thinking I might have been out in the back of beyond cavorting with Aussie Mick... There's a little story I've been meaning to share for a while now, one that's very close to home. The koala hospital exists alongside

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-64151169318172628022007-10-22T18:38:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.925+11:00

Tawny Frogmouth and chick in yard 9 From koalawrangler's gallery. No, when I left the koala hospital this afternoon I didn't expect I'd be chasing a koala down Pacific Drive before I made it home.Cheyne asked me to come in to the hospital this arvo to put my slide-wench skills to good use. She is giving a presentation next week on the work we do at the koala hospital, and the finer details of

Samnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-61085414607002888292007-10-19T07:28:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.927+11:00

"Don't you people listen? I said 'no photos!'" From koalawrangler's gallery. Yes, folks, you heard it here first, okay, well, LAST then...but I'm not bitter! The story of Mick the rare white koala burst onto the world stage on 21 September, after we koalawranglers had known about his existence for some weeks. It's testament to the serious task we perform at the hospital that we'd all been

Samnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-11321531354974094982007-10-18T11:23:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.929+11:00

Westport Lily From koalawrangler's gallery. Westport Lily is a little female koala keeping Tractive Golfer company up in yard 10. She is one of the koalas who occupies the grounds of Westport High School here in Port Macquarie. Lily was brought in as a suspected wet bottom so she has a towel tied to her gunyah to show up any urinal discharge we would need to worry about. Westport Lily

Samnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-77509136764443793072007-10-17T13:30:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.932+11:00

If ever I'm in a tight situation, Bellevue Scrapper is definitely the koala I'd want in my corner. Bellevue Scrapper From koalawrangler's gallery. If you've read my disclaimer above, you'll see that I'm not above admitting my lack of know-how in the medical department. I enjoy learning about the scientific side of koala care, primarily because it contributes to my understanding of each

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-84814554848004622252007-10-11T09:45:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.935+11:00

Chisholm Dave, high & dry From koalawrangler's gallery. Last week, the hospital yards seemed chockful of koalas and most of the gunyahs bristled with leaf. The volume of koalas tends to coincide with the warmer weather when koalas are on the move seeking out other koalas for mating. This puts them in unwanted path of dogs and cars as they leave their comfortable branches to traverse

Samnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-52212142527905041312007-09-20T11:23:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.937+11:00

Ocean Jane From koalawrangler's gallery.I feel a bit lethargic as I lock my car and head towards the hospital entrance, but in yard 2, Ocean Jane's fluffy round ears are peeking over her leaf pots and the sight immediately turns my mood around.I can also see Perks Chris over behind her. He's soaking up the sun and waiting for his leaf. Emma and Jarod are moving around the main yard by the

Samnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-75357073166987136202007-08-17T19:42:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.939+11:00

Smudge From koalawrangler's gallery.The departure of our star attraction, Anna Bay Sooty and her little "Smudge", has left an gap in the joey department here at the koala hospital. Of course, we still have the beautiful Ocean Kim in residence. Kimmy has spent most of her young life at the hospital, since her Mum was hit by a car when she was still a pouch-borne joey. Once Kimmy has put on

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-62621507769704227832007-08-10T12:09:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.942+11:00

Ocean Woody From koalawrangler's gallery.I mentioned in a previous post that we have been awash with Ocean koalas (geddit?), that is koalas admitted who were found near Ocean Drive, the highway that connects Port Macquarie and Bonny Hills, Lake Cathie and beyond. It zips along at 80km/h, not a very koala-friendly speed, hence the relatively many koalas we get at the hospital who receive the

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-60851579088142420772007-08-09T11:42:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.944+11:00

Golfer is giving off a particularly gamey scent right now and I notice that his scent gland, the furry cleft in his chest, is glistening. I wonder if that’s pure parfum du koala seeping out of there? Tractive Golfer From koalawrangler's gallery.Amanda must be psychic. She's written me up for yard 10, which is just where I'd like to be. I haven't wrangled up there for about six weeks. I take

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-75326466407059207162007-08-02T15:13:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.947+11:00

Staring at Anna Bay Sooty's pouch, I feel a bit like a papparazzi photographer waiting for the latest celebrity to emerge outside of the London restaurant or nightclub du jour...not knowing whether I would be waiting a minute or an hour... Smudge From koalawrangler's gallery.It's most of the usual suspects on the Thursday shift: Amanda, Jarred, Brooke; although Trish and Paul couldn't make it

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-23435318400086552362007-07-19T14:45:00.000+10:002009-03-23T14:16:26.219+11:00

I've been overseas for a couple of weeks so the closest I've come to koalas has been the chocolate-filled kind we scoffed plenty of in Japan. The biscuits were ubiquitous at train station shops so we stocked up on them for long rides on shinkansen. One time I couldn't see them at the counter so I flapped my hands at my ears while saying "koala" in my best Japanese accent. Amazingly, the lady knew

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-34107639042889070942007-06-21T11:53:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.952+11:00

It's a case of marsupial West Side Story except instead of the Jets and the Sharks, it's the Koalas and...well...the Koalas. Candelo Cool From koalawrangler's gallery.Brrr! It's a chilly old morning here in Koalaville. All the koalawranglers arrived rugged up in long trousers, fleecy tops and scarves. Even Cheyne has forgone her customary shorts for more winter-friendly attire. It's times

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-86489717953796680272007-06-01T08:48:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:02.955+11:00

Most koalas in my experience drink draughts of the formula, taking time to swallow in between; they even lose interest and chew on their leaf until they're reminded that there's formula in the offing. Not this one. It's like she's skolling a beer, with no time for breathing, swallowing or otherwise. Candelo Cool From koalawrangler's gallery.It's my birthmas today! I've been looking forward

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-11395894086261533242007-05-31T15:57:00.000+10:002009-03-23T14:16:26.222+11:00

It's the promise of joey love that draws me to Kimmy's yard. At that moment, Peter enters yard 9 bearing leaf. He joins me over where Kimmy is holding court. She's crept as far as she can up a low fork in order to lean in towards us Oxley Jo-fashion, like a cocktail olive on a toothpick. Anna Bay Sooty From koalawrangler's gallery.I've been popping into the hospital over the last few days,

Samnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-6673638057577695782007-05-17T14:35:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:39.466+11:00

Innes Tony's foot From koalawrangler's gallery.A bit of a quiet shift today although we had a few new vollies. Amanda takes Keith to train and gets me to train Brooke up in yard 10. There are only three koalas there now: Tractive Golfer, Morrish Steven and Innes Tony. I go through the techie things like where's the best place to cut a branch fork, how to achieve the correct leaf length,

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-79990247667998775562007-05-11T10:59:00.000+10:002009-03-23T14:16:26.225+11:00

Kimmy, like Lake Christmas, is a treetop-dweller who only honours us with a visit to earth when she's feeling peckish. She's looking her usual fetching fluffy self. Emma notices a tick under her chin and plucks it off. Kimmy grizzles a bit, much like a recalcitrant child having its hair combed. Oxley Jo From koalawrangler's gallery."Guess who I saw yesterday?", is the first thing I say to

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-60206004249626897702007-05-10T14:21:00.000+10:002009-03-23T14:16:26.229+11:00

I realise I'm staring at Oxley Jo too long because she starts to eep at me weakly which, roughly translated, means "rack off" in Koala. Oxley Jo From koalawrangler's gallery.I've doffed my teamleader training cap today. I pretty much understand what's required from a process point of view (although I reckon I'd have to get in at 4am to give myself enough time to decipher the leaf before the

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-86332312685026552862007-05-05T14:54:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:39.480+11:00

As I spoke, my eyes trained upwards and, to my utter astonishment and delight, there she was: Ellenborough Nancy, in the flesh! She was perched in the very same tree she hightailed it up a week ago. "And here's a koala I prepared earlier..." Ellenborough From koalawrangler's gallery.Last Saturday we enjoyed breakfast out at Port's newish café/restaurant, The Corner. Today we planned to do

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-54535113331045199532007-04-30T13:09:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:39.486+11:00

There has been a catalogue of koala machismo in the ICU, from dirt-tipping and horny grunting sounds to the pawing/chasing/foot-nibbling by that lothario Morrish Steven towards Emma, one of the other vollies. Now I'm convinced he's Jim Morrison's koala reincarnation. Ellenborough Nancy From koalawrangler's gallery.I scan the whiteboard to get a quick feel for the lay of the land: who's moved

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-28466205044010389222007-04-29T12:53:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:39.492+11:00

With the new leaf in place, I may as well not even exist; I'm koala non grata. So perhaps what Cheyne's been saying all along really is true: Linksy doesn't actually love me for myself, but only for my eucalyptus! How crushing to be so used and brutally tossed aside by one so adorable. Linksy, you heart-breaker, love-taker. Walcha Barbie From koalawrangler's gallery.I see from the

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-85468609247851070922007-04-28T13:09:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:39.495+11:00

Twin koala joeys have been born to a koala in China! Six koalas were donated by the Queensland government to the Xiangjiang Safari Park last year. One of these koalas is the proud mother of the two joeys. It's the first time that twin koalas have been born naturally in captivity. A Hong Kong pop duo called, originally, "Twins", want to pay for the pair's upkeep (and possibly a college education).

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-7119071666686185222007-04-27T13:42:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:39.500+11:00

My KoalaWhere arrived today. It's a small toy koala dressed in an aviator outfit and proceeds from the sale of each KoalaWhere go to support the Australian Koala Foundation.The idea is that you take KoalaWhere with you when you go on holidays, particularly overseas, and then you include your KoalaWhere in your photos. (I can imagine going quite overboard with this.) You then upload your photos to

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-86783665072799183452007-04-22T21:32:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:39.504+11:00

...beware vets harbouring injections. Sounds like something you'd read in an animal fortune cookie: Confucious say, wise koala beware vet with sneaky needle. Caveat Koalor? Ellenborough Nancy From koalawrangler's gallery.I got to the hospital at 8am and was only the third vollie to arrive. I had seen Cheryle walking up Lord Street, so she wasn't far behind. I also assured Pete that Emma

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8647531345890681641.post-75826808401914686792007-04-19T12:55:00.000+10:002009-01-05T11:58:39.509+11:00

Anna Bay Miles From koalawrangler's gallery.I wasn't able to fend off the non-koala part of my life the last two Thursdays and so missed my koala shift on both those days. (I told Amanda in advance, of course.) So today I'm back giving the understudy teamleader thing a go.Anna Bay Miles is now in an outside yard looking positively glowing in the morning sun. He is a changed koala. I

Koalawranglerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03623974598053916362noreply@blogger.com0