HOW MUCH CAN A KOALA BEAR?

News Source: SUNDAY LIFE, Sunshine Coast Daily, page 2 & 3, Sunday 21st November, 2004
By: Sherine Conyers

Lionhearted effort to help our injured wildlife

Before my very eyes, staff and volunteers flock to aid a koala, bloodied and battered after it had been hit by a motor vehicle. Spread out on the table, on top of a towel, with four people around it, the injured animal instantly becomes the centre of the universe. Staff rush to undo a temporary bandage around the koala’s messy leg, while the animal lays completely still from shock. Underside, volunteers are on alert for the now orphaned joey that is now missing from its mother’s pouch.

This is the untold story of many sick and injured animals in south-east Queensland. The Koala Hospital staff at Beerwah see the same story over and over again – native animals maimed or injured by vehicles or attacked by dogs.

Tree clearing plays a big part, as these animals move closer in to residential areas in an attempt to find food.
While the staff at the Koala Hospital try desperately to save the animals when they arrive, they know it is only a band-aid solution.

A tour around the hospital at Australia Zoo paints a graphic picture of just how bad the situation has become. Koalas are separated into various areas according to the extend of their injuries and rate of recovery. And there are lots of them. The hospital has been inundated with koalas, possums, native birds, frogs and more than 40 other native species. Last month, 85 koalas came into care, with some needing treatment for up to a year. Staff work around the clock to keep animals alive, and often do not sleep for days if things get busy.

Australia Zoo promotions and media manager Sally Townsend said the demand had already outgrown the facility … and the doors were not officially open yet. “They’ve been inundated with wildlife in need of care,” she said. “The scary thing is, once it’s officially open, they are definitely going to need more facilities.”

The hospital is the first major project for the Steve Irwin Wildlife Fund. The non-profit fund was established to raise awareness and money to protect and enhance the natural environment. The sad reality is that Australia has one of the worst mammalian extinction rates in the world. With koalas now on the vulnerable list in south-east Queensland, the volunteers go to great lengths to save them.

Hospital manager Gail Gipp said the volunteers are putting more effort into saving the animals than ever before. “We push the envelope now,” she said. “Things we didn’t fix a few years ago, we try to fix now.” She said the age, health and overall body condition of the animal were all important. “If we think they’re got a reasonable rate of recovery, we’ll give them a go. “But they have to be as fit as an athlete when they do go back into the wild.” The process of getting the animals fit can take a long time. Gail is quick to dispel the myth that the Zoo takes in the animals that cannot be re-released. When an animal is saved but is not fit enough to be sent back to its habitat, it is placed on the Species Management Program. A committee then determines whether the animal should be euthanized of placing on a registry for Zoos in Queensland to take.

Whistler the koala is one such animal. He arrived soon after the hospital doors were opened in March. He was severely battered and bloodied after he was attacked by two Rottweiler dogs. Gail said the extent of his wounds were so bad that so deep that it shocked the staff. “He had horrific bite wounds – they were so deep, you could nearly put a pair of scissors in him,”she said. Whistler was touch-and-go for a long period of time, before making a miraculous recovery. But the extent of the wounds damaged some of his nerves and he is permanently blind. The hospital has now applied to keep him. “He has a special place in all our hearts,” Gail said.

Emily the koala came in as an orphan, weighing just 132 grams. Hand-fed from that time, she has slowly developed, and now weights two kilograms, and is growing stronger each day. She still has some time before she can be released back into the wild. Sally said possums, birds, reptiles and frogs were treated quite often. The hospital contains humidicribs, ventilators, x-ray, pathology testing equipment, and operating station, ultrasound and endoscope for keyhole surgery, but relies on donation and volunteer to survive.

Australia Zoo donated the land to the hospital, which runs independently. Sally said the hospital needed help. “ There is a misconception that we have an abundance of koalas. We don’t,” she said. “If we want out national icons to be here, then we have to help.” Sally said councils and local community groups needed to get involved. “If every ratepayer in south-east Queensland gave 20 cents from, their rates to the hospital, the animals would never want for anything,” she said. The community can help in other ways, too. Sally said members of the public could log onto the website and adopt a koala, or make a donation. They also can take a tour of the hospital, with all funds raised going back into the facility. “We need to look at doing something now,” Gail said. “It’s really sad to think that we could be the generation who make the koala extinct.” The hospital also needs spare blankers and towels for the animals. Gail said simple things could make all the difference to reducing the animal injury rate. “Accidents happen and we can save them here but we can’t save their habitat,” she said.

If you find an injured animal, do not neglect it. Wrap it in a towel and call the hotline on 1300 369 652. For more information on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Fund, go to www.siwf.org.au