25/9/2012
Hi All, well, Richards is still making a name for himself around the streets of Lemon Tree Passage. Received a call tonight around 6pm to say a koala was sitting on the front door step of a house in James Scott Crescent. They thought he had been hit by a car because of his funny shaped right front paw. i knew instantly it was our old boy Richards but said I would come out and pay him a visit. When I got there, the owners of the house with the help of neighbours had him under the good old laundry basket.
Before placing Richards in the basket for his relocation 50 metres down the road, I ran the scanner over just to make sure it was not another koala pretending to be Richards just for the attention. I am sure our boy has been spreading the word about how good being in care is, meals to your logs, fresh leaf night and day, someone to clean up your dropping, ahhhh yes, I can understand why they flock back to us time and time again. So after I checked him for dehydration, had a peek at his poo which he kindly deposited on my foot, gave him a general health check, I decided the front door step wasn't really ideal kola environment and wandered down the road a bit to release him on a vacant block. Didn't take long for him to make himself at home and I guess I will look forward to the next call out to check on the "koala with the funny front paw". Loreto :-)
Before placing Richards in the basket for his relocation 50 metres down the road, I ran the scanner over just to make sure it was not another koala pretending to be Richards just for the attention. I am sure our boy has been spreading the word about how good being in care is, meals to your logs, fresh leaf night and day, someone to clean up your dropping, ahhhh yes, I can understand why they flock back to us time and time again. So after I checked him for dehydration, had a peek at his poo which he kindly deposited on my foot, gave him a general health check, I decided the front door step wasn't really ideal kola environment and wandered down the road a bit to release him on a vacant block. Didn't take long for him to make himself at home and I guess I will look forward to the next call out to check on the "koala with the funny front paw". Loreto :-)
RICHARDS HAS BEEN RESCUED BEFORE FOR THAT STORY SEE BELOW
22/7/2012
This is Richards!! 8.5kg male. Rescued by Loreto & Ray yesterday morning
stuck in a backyard at lemon tree passage. He was first rescued in Nov 2001 when he was hit by a car
at the Tanilba end of Salt Ash. He had a dislocated Left Clavical & elbow.
He was in care for 75 days and then released. He weighed 7.5kg then so would
have to have been an adult. Which makes him one very old koala now. He now
has some issue with his right front foot. Maybe an old fracture? He has an
insatiable appetite, and quite a pleasant personality. His pellet and urine
output is great and the fact that he is still over 8 kg at his age, to me
indicates that this foot issue is not preventing him from feeding himself. I
couldn't get him into a vet today but can get him into Rod tomorrow morning
at 9.40am. I'm hoping I can just release him tomorrow as he doesn't seem to
need to be in care. But I'm not a vet and we will see what Rod thinks.
Cheers Sue
P.S. last photo he is using the crook foot to hold the leaf
stuck in a backyard at lemon tree passage. He was first rescued in Nov 2001 when he was hit by a car
at the Tanilba end of Salt Ash. He had a dislocated Left Clavical & elbow.
He was in care for 75 days and then released. He weighed 7.5kg then so would
have to have been an adult. Which makes him one very old koala now. He now
has some issue with his right front foot. Maybe an old fracture? He has an
insatiable appetite, and quite a pleasant personality. His pellet and urine
output is great and the fact that he is still over 8 kg at his age, to me
indicates that this foot issue is not preventing him from feeding himself. I
couldn't get him into a vet today but can get him into Rod tomorrow morning
at 9.40am. I'm hoping I can just release him tomorrow as he doesn't seem to
need to be in care. But I'm not a vet and we will see what Rod thinks.
Cheers Sue
P.S. last photo he is using the crook foot to hold the leaf
24/7/2012
Hi Everyone. An update on Richards from earlier. I took him to Rod Starr
for a check up today.He had eaten his head off in the cage since he has been
in care and put on nearly 500gr in 2 days!!! Also he was climbing around in
the cage with no difficulty. When rescued he was turning his front right foot
under when walking on the ground, that is why he was kept for observation.
Rod said the front foot issue was Radial nerve damage received in his first
encounter with a car in 2001. It has caused no muscle wastage, which is a
miracle, and he has normal strength in that arm. Rod was really pleased with
the great condition he was in considering his age. He said he had lost a bit
of condition which means that in his prime he was up around the 10 kg
weight. So he was released!!! Loreto, Ray (his two rescuers)and I released
him in a beautiful reserve not far from where he was rescued. There would
have bee 40 Swampy's in this reserve plus mel. The property next to the
reserve had two huge Nicholii and a Scoparia and no fences!! So enough food
for a few days for this eating machine. He knew he was home and did a couple
of leaps to impress us. Such a nice change from the outcome we usually
experience at this time of year when the old folks start coming in. Rod
reckons we could get quite a few more years out of this boy yet.
. Cheers Sue
for a check up today.He had eaten his head off in the cage since he has been
in care and put on nearly 500gr in 2 days!!! Also he was climbing around in
the cage with no difficulty. When rescued he was turning his front right foot
under when walking on the ground, that is why he was kept for observation.
Rod said the front foot issue was Radial nerve damage received in his first
encounter with a car in 2001. It has caused no muscle wastage, which is a
miracle, and he has normal strength in that arm. Rod was really pleased with
the great condition he was in considering his age. He said he had lost a bit
of condition which means that in his prime he was up around the 10 kg
weight. So he was released!!! Loreto, Ray (his two rescuers)and I released
him in a beautiful reserve not far from where he was rescued. There would
have bee 40 Swampy's in this reserve plus mel. The property next to the
reserve had two huge Nicholii and a Scoparia and no fences!! So enough food
for a few days for this eating machine. He knew he was home and did a couple
of leaps to impress us. Such a nice change from the outcome we usually
experience at this time of year when the old folks start coming in. Rod
reckons we could get quite a few more years out of this boy yet.
. Cheers Sue
ROD
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SUE
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LORETO
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RAY
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