The bandicoot                                                    Koala injured after 
       that lost its tail　                                      climbing a prison razor wire fence
　

★KANA★

★TOSHIMI★It is now six years since I started caring for koalas and the koala hospital.  Seeing so many animals on a daily basis – those that are brought in after being rescued, the koalas that are hospitalized and then released, the koalas that return again after being released, and the koalas that have died -  I am always aware of the importance of securing environments in which the animals should be leading healthy lives. This is difficult to achieve as individuals, and I often wonder what can be done.  Looking after the koalas in such a way as to reduce their stress even just a little is also a form of apology, as well as an expression of gratitude for their very existence. This is what keeps me going.

●Fig birds●20 February 2012 by TOSHIMI 
A pair of fig bird chicks was discovered on the ground after having fallen from their respective nests, and rescured in the city of Ipswich. They were both taken to the home of highly experienced wildlife carer, Helen, where they spent ten days being well looked after. They were fed on a diet of grapes, banana, melon and other soft fruit, with softened and mashed dog food as a substitute for the insects the mother bird would usually provide. And they are developing beautifully! Because they will soon require a bigger cage, they will soon move to the home of a specialist bird carer.


●Fig birdsMountain Brush-tailed Possum●15 February 2012  by TOSHIMI 

February 14, Valentine’s Day, was the day that a female mountain brush-tail possum with an injured right leg was rescued. Possums are spotted relatively frequently, with some even living in the roof space of people’s houses; they are native to Australia and can be seen as a nuisance However, the owner of the house in Boonah in which this possum lives has shared her life with possum families since she was very young, truly regarding them as family members. It was the owner who requested the rescue once she realised that the possum was injured. Given that possum numbers are relatively high, there is considerable competition of nesting sites and food, requiring that they be 100% fit in order to survive; some are even euthanized if it is deemed that they are severely injured or that they would require lengthy treatment. As far as the home owner was concerned, the possums were like family, and she watched the possum being taken away with the hope that it would somehow be alright.

Upon examination, it was found that ‘the possum had previously been in an accident involving a vehicle and suffered a fracture, but the fracture had naturally healed through re-calcification! The leg that appeared to be injured had in fact already healed, and the possum was able to return to the roof of her house from whence she came! I can see the happy faces of the family who own the house and those of the possum family.

I believe this is a good example of protecting wildlife by adjusting one’s thinking from ‘this land is for humans only’ to an attitude of sharing where we live. I hope that the humans and the possums in this story can all enjoy a wonderful life into the future!

●Laser●Further News 9 February 2012 by TOSHIMI 　
Having fully recovered and starting to show strong signs of his true, wild nature, Laser was barely recognisable from the time he was first rescued when he was returned safely to the natural environment on 9 February. Here’s hoping he will continue to stay healthy!

●Honey – One Lucky Bub!●　6 February 2012 Report by Marcie
When a couple found a small possum in Pine Mountains, Ipswich, some 30 km west of Brisbane, they thought it was already dead. At first they were going to put the body in a compost bin, but the wife said that they should bury it instead. When they went to bury the possum, however, they noticed it move ever so slightly. It was then that they made the call to me to come and help.

When I first saw the possum she was on death’s door, but I tried to give her some milk. I was surprised that she started to bounce back once I gave her some milk.

Although she was still in a bad way, even walking backwards, she is now happily living in a cage at my home. She really was one lucky possum! When she has grown big and healthy enough she will return to live in the wild. Hopefully that day will come soon!

●Laser●BY TOSHIMI

On 1 January 2012, Laser received cuts to his hands, feet, armpit and stomach when he climbed up a fence around a prison and encountered the sharp razor wire at the top. Many animals fall victim to these kinds of fences and nets, with another koala being rescued just one month ago from exactly the same place. Laser was taken to the nearest animal clinic, which was at a university for emergency treatment and transferred to the koala hospital the following day. His wounds were his left paw was so bad that the tendon could be seen. The wounds were disinfected and antibiotics administered, but because he was in such a poor condition and infection was a concern it was decided he should go to the home of Helen, a highly experienced carer, who would watch his progress until the wounds healed. He caused Helen some concern when he showed no interest in eating any eucalyptus leaves for the first few days, but by 16 February, two weeks after his rescue, his wounds were healing and there were no signs of infection and he was returned to the koala hospital to undergo rehabilitation to restore his tree-climbing ability.