Welcome to July at Friends of the Koala. It has been a busy few weeks here as phase two of the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital expansion is underway. It is an exciting time, though it also brings some disruption for our koalas, volunteers and the entire team over the coming months. We are grateful for their patience as the site comes to life around them.
As always, this update is a chance to introduce you to our newest patients as well as celebrate those who have made it through treatment and gone home to the wild.
Winter has settled in here in the Northern Rivers, bringing cooler but still comfortable conditions for our team and our koalas alike. Even so, thoughts of the El Niño summer ahead are never far from our minds, and it is a big part of why completing the hospital expansion matters so much.
We also want to take a moment to say thank you. Thanks to the ncredible generosity of our supporters, we raised $194,718 towards our hospital expansion. We still have a way to go and fundraising efforts continue. Every donation brings us closer, and your support truly means the world to us and to the future of koalas in our region.
As always, here is a look at who has come through our doors this month, and the stories behind their care.
Releases
We are delighted to share five wonderful release stories with you this month.
Laurel
Five year old Laurel, was admitted in early May with cystitis and severe conjunctivitis. He completed his course of antibiotics and, after returning a negative test for chlamydia, was successfully released back to the wild towards the end of June. Well done Laurel!
Bunyip
Handsome Bunyip came into care in early May when he was spotted limping on his left hind limb. Bunyip completed a course of anti inflammatories, and follow up x-rays showed the bone infection in his leg had improved significantly, with Bunyip putting much more weight on it and moving comfortably. He was moved to a larger enclosure to continue his rehabilitation and was soon cleared for release, heading home to the wild at the start of July.
Haze
Six year old Haze was admitted in early May after being observed in a tree with conjunctivitis and cystitis. He completed his treatment and tested negative for chlamydia, though a fungal infection meant he needed a further course of antifungals before he was ready to go home. With that infection now resolved, Haze was released home.
Donner
Donner, another male suffering with chlamydia related complications came into care in mid May. He had severe conjunctivitis in his right eye and having completed his course of treatment and, returning a negative test for chlamydia, was released back to the wild in early July.
Yowie
Six year old Yowie was admitted in mid May when a member of the public found him on the ground. He was admitted and completed his course of treatment and returning a negative test, he was released home in early July.
Five more koalas back where they belong. Thank you to everyone, our vets, carers, rescuers and volunteers, who made these outcomes possible. Also not forgetting the members of the public who made the call to get these beautiful koalas the help they needed.
Joeys in Home Care
Brightheart
Regular readers will remember little Brightheart, the six month old joey who came into care in May weighing just 324 grams after her mum Shadowheart was tragically hit by a car on South Gundurimba Road. X-rays revealed Shadowheart had sustained multiple skull fractures, and the difficult decision was made to put her to sleep, leaving Brightheart orphaned. Thankfully, Brightheart herself was uninjured, and she has been in the very capable hands of carer Liz ever since, receiving round the clock feeding and monitoring.
At such a young and vulnerable age, Brightheart has faced no shortage of challenges, but she continues to prove just how resilient a little koala can be. She is feeding beautifully and steadily putting on weight, and we are thrilled to share that she now weighs 530 grams, well up from the 385 grams we reported last month. She still has a long road ahead of her, but every gram gained is a reason to celebrate, and she could not be in better hands.
We will keep you updated on Brightheart’s progress in the months ahead. Thank you, as always, to Liz and our incredible home care network for giving koalas like Brightheart the very best chance at a future in the wild.
Koalas in our Care Centre
Rosie
Eight-year-old Rosie is continuing to do well in care. After several rounds of testing, we are thrilled to share that she has now received her final negative result for cryptococcosis, wonderful news after such a long road for this gorgeous girl. Unfortunately, Rosie has since developed a candida infection and has commenced treatment for that. We are hopeful it will not be too much longer before she is ready to go home.
Otter
Four-year-old Otter, from Larnook, has seen his fungal infection resolve. Because he has been in care for so long, he has moved to plantation to rebuild some body condition and allow the fur on his rump to grow back before he is ready for release.
Peppermint
Two-year-old Peppermint, who was admitted in severe condition with cystitis and conjunctivitis, has unfortunately returned a positive chlamydia result. She has just commenced a second course of antibiotics and our team will continue to monitor her closely.
Ajel
Six-year-old Ajel, who was admitted with severe cystitis and was quite dehydrated on arrival, has recently finished her course of treatment. She has been retested and we are awaiting her results.
At the start of the month, we had a very tough week. In the space of just a few days, we had two young male koalas, both hit by cars, come through our doors needing emergency orthopaedic surgery. It is unusual for us to see two major fracture repairs so close together, but as breeding season gets underway, sadly this is exactly the kind of increase in call outs we have been expecting, with more koalas on the move and more of them at risk on our roads.
Clifford
Clifford, a four-year-old male, was admitted in late June after being hit by a car in Casino. He sustained a fractured left hind limb, including his tibia and fibula, as well as blood in his abdomen and mild anaemia. Clifford was stabilised on intravenous fluids and pain relief, and the following day underwent orthopaedic surgery at Casino Vet Clinic. The surgery was a success, and Clifford is continuing to recover well in our ICU ward, though he has a long road ahead of him.
Chiko
Chiko, a four-year-old male, was admitted at the end of June, also after being hit by a car. He sustained a fractured left femur along with some internal bleeding. He was stabilised with intravenous fluids and pain relief before undergoing orthopaedic surgery at Casino Vet Clinic. Chiko is also recovering well in our ICU ward, and like Clifford, still has some way to go.
A huge thank you to Casino Vet Clinic for their generosity, expertise and support. Working alongside our own veterinary team, they helped make these two complex surgeries possible.
Cases like Clifford and Chiko are also a powerful reminder of why our hospital expansion matters so much. At the moment, we have just one long term ICU room for critically injured koalas. Once complete, the expansion will increase that to three, allowing us to care for more koalas like these when they need us most.
As breeding season gets underway and more koalas take to the move, please slow down, stay alert and keep an eye out for koalas on our roads.
Looking Ahead
As we move into koala breeding season, we know the months ahead will bring more koalas needing our help, and more reasons why the hospital expansion cannot come soon enough. From Rosie’s long road to recovery, to Clifford and Chiko’s emergency surgeries, to little Brightheart growing stronger every week, every story in this update is only possible because of the people who support this work, our volunteers, our vets, our carers, and every single one of you. Thank you for being part of this community and for caring about our koalas as much as we do. We will see you next month, with more stories from the front line.
