Crescent Head Jimmy, the orphaned baby koala who became an internet hit, is released back into the wild

By SARA MALM

Adorable: The cute baby koala lost his mother in a car crash three years ago but has now made full recovery and will be released into the wild

An orphaned baby koala who became an online hit has been released in the wild.
The story of Crescent Head Jimmy went viral after staff at an Australian animal hospital posted pictures of him on Facebook.
Little Jimmy weighed just over a pound when he was brought to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, New South Wales after his mother had been killed in a car crash.

Orphaned: The size of the young Jimmy becomes very clear as he sits next to a chair . He weighed little more than a pound when he arrived at the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie

Supervisor Cheyne Flanagan said that the baby koala was covered in bruises and in pretty bad shape when he first arrived in 2009.
However, thanks to the care of the staff, and perhaps his huge online fanbase, Jimmy is now well enough to be released into the wild.

Popular: This photo of Jimmy taking a break in his basked with a cuddly toy and some eucalyptus leaves went viral after staff posted it on Facebook

The first photos of the baby koala posted to Tourism Australia's Facebook page got 200,000 ‘likes’ and 70,000 shares.
An encore re-post on the social networking site received an additional 50,000 'likes' and 11,000 shares.

Jimmy clings onto Supervisor Cheyne Flanagan's leg as he would onto his mother's back in the wild. Koala joeys - as the young are called - stay with their mothers for up to three years

Jimmy looks suspicious of the photographer as he climbs over a table at the animal hospital

Although koalas are called bears, they're actually marsupials, its closest relative is the wombat.
It is estimated that there are around 80,000 koalas living in the wild in Australia.
They spend much of their lives in eucalyptus trees, feeding almost exclusively on leaves.
Koala bears rarely need to drink as the leaves are 50 per cent water, making their appearances out of the eucalyptus trees rare.

Moving out: After three years in hospital care Jimmy is finally ready to move into a eucalyptus tree of his own

source: dailymail

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Yabbra Dabba Doo! Cute Koala has time of his life running around the corridors of Edinburgh Zoo

By JILL REILLY

Time to exercise: At first Yabbra seems to be a bit cautious of running down the hallway and proceeds slowly

Yabbra the koala spends around 22 hours a day asleep, but when he does wake up - the corridors of Edinburgh Zoo are his playground.
In this adorable YouTube video, the inquisitive furry animal is caught on camera at Edinburgh Zoo.
The clip shows Yabbra, who was born in 2005, exploring the halls of the zoo although he does seem a bit cautious at first.

Speeding along: Suddenly he gains his confidence and runs up the corridor, eager to embrace his new freedom

Yabbra's name is Aboriginal for 'the fugitive,' as he kept popping out of his mother’s pouch at a very early age
His other playmate is Goonaroo whose name is Aboriginal for 'wood duck' and is a year younger.
The zoo feed the pair five different species of eucalyptus every day.
As eucalyptus leaves provide very little energy, koalas spend around twenty-one hours asleep and only wake up for short periods of time throughout the day.
Edinburgh Zoo says it is a myth that koalas become drugged from eating eucalyptus – it simply does not provide them with enough energy to maintain their body functions and be continually active.

What is this: Yabbra is one of only two Koalas in the U.K. according to the Edinburgh Zoo and seems a bit perplexed when he sees the camera filming him at the end of the hall

Edinburgh Zoo is the only collection in the UK to house koalas, and is part of the European breeding programme.
They are the European male holding facility, which means they house male koalas that are too young to be active within the breeding programme and older animals that have successfully bred and are now at 'retrial' age.
According to National Geographic, more than four-fifths of original koala habitat has been destroyed across the world.

Inquisitive nature: Born in 2005, Yabbra's name is Aboriginal for 'the fugitive,' as he kept popping out of his mother's pouch at a very early age



source: dailymail

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Give us a cuddle: Furry friends enjoy a team hug after hard day's lazing around

By STEPHANIE DARRALL



Bear hug: Koalas snuggle up to each other at the Lone Pine Conservation Park in Queensland, Australia. Koalas are endangered due to a decline in their natural habitat



Holding tightly on to each other's thick soft fur, these adorable Koala bears look perfectly posed for a family photo.



The marsupials were spotted cuddling up together at the Lone Pine Conservation Park in Queensland, Australia.



Koalas usually sleep for up to 16 hours a day in trees, and only come down for food, so it was a lucky chance that this heartwarming scene was caught on camera.



They live on eucalyptus leaves and have become endangered due to damage to their natural habitat and the decline of food availability - it is thought that there are less than 80,000 left in the wild.



Koalas are currently listed as a priority for conservation by the Australian government and breeding programmes are encouraged - particularly as the animals are only able to produce one baby, known as a joey, each year.



The Lone Pine Conservation Park is officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest koala park in the world, with more than 130 koalas, and is helping to ensure the survival of the animals.



source: dailymail

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A female Queensland joey koala clings to its mother Zakary

A female Queensland joey koala clings to its mother Zakary Thursday, March 10, 2011, at the San Francisco Zoo. This is the first koala birth at the SF Zoo since 2000. The new joey began to emerge from her pouch in January. She will make her public debut at the zoo next week.




San Francisco Zoo animal keeper Heather Givner holds Zakary, a Queensland koala and her female joey as they are introduced to the media Thursday, March 10, 2011, in San Francisco. This is the first koala birth at the zoo since 2000. The new joey began to emerge from her pouch in January. She will make her public debut at the zoo next week.



A female Queensland joey koala rests on its mother Zakary Thursday, March 10, 2011, in San Francisco. This is the first koala birth at the zoo since 2000. The new joey began to emerge from her pouch in January. She will make her public debut at the zoo next week.



A female Queensland joey koala clings to its mother Zakary Thursday, March 10, 2011, in San Francisco. This is the first koala birth at the SF Zoo since 2000. The new joey began to emerge from her pouch in January. She will make her public debut at the zoo next week.

source: Daylife
photo: AP photo

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Orphaned koala blasted with shotgun makes miraculous recovery at Australian animal hospital

By JAMES WHITE

You beauty: An Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital member of staff holds Frodo as she recovers from her injuries


It was an act of cruelty that shocked people across the world - a helpless baby koala targeted with a shotgun found next to the body of her mother.

The tiny animal, nicknamed Frodo, received a fractured skull and gun pellets were found scattered throughout her body, damaging her intestines.

But despite her horrendous injuries and the loss of her mother in last month's attack on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, Australia, Frodo is bouncing back to health.

Staff at Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital found wounds consistent with a shotgun blast spread throughout the youngster's body and initially feared the worst.
A month later and Frodo has made an astonishing return to health.

Leading her care, wildlife vet Dr. Amber Gillett said:'I am very happy with Frodo’s progress; she now weighs a healthy 2.36kg.

'Since being in care at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital she has gained 400 grams which is a great indicator of how well she is doing.

'The pellets in her stomach and intestines seem to be moving around but have not been expelled, and may never be.

'I will continue to monitor the lead levels in her blood but so far she does not appear to be affected by lead toxicity.

'Frodo has started growing fur back over her wounds and has a healthy appetite which is brilliant to see considering her condition a month ago.


Improving: The koala has made an amazing improvement in a month after vets feared the worst


Feeling at home: Frodo in a tree, but a date for her return to the wild has yet to be decided on


'At this stage no further surgery will be scheduled. Frodo will have another thorough check up just after Christmas to reassess her lead levels.'

It has not yet been decided when the koala will be released back into the wild, because of concerns over how she would cope without her mother.

A spokesman for the zoo - set up by legendary wildlife television star Steve Irwin - said: 'Frodo has maintained her feisty attitude, active nature and appetite, continuing to move around well in her outdoor enclosure which she shares with other koala joeys.'


Critical condition: Tiny Frodo was blasted from a tree with a shotgun, but survived the attack


Cruel: The koala had 15 pellets embedded in her body but has since made a miraculous recovery


After the attack, Mark Townend, a senior officer with the RSPCA, said his organisation would provide any help needed to search for the culprit and bring cruelty charges.

Outraged Australians have called for the person who shot the koalas to receive the same punishment.

Koalas were declared a protected species in the 1930s, after their numbers fell dramatically due to the fur trade.

Scores of people sent their good wishes to Frodo, saying they hoped she would pull through.

Frodo remains in a critical condition at a wildlife hospital on the Sunshine Coast.
The maximum penalty for shooting a koala is a $225,000 (£140,000) fine or two years in jail.


Tender loving care: Staff at the veterinary hospital gave Frodo intravenous antibiotics, fluids and pain relief, as well as blood transfusions in an attempt to keep her alive


Callous attack: The defenceless animal rests after surgery to remove some of the pellets

source: dailymail

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Fury as orphaned koala fights for her life after being shot 15 times

By RICHARD SHEARS

Critical condition: Tiny Frodo was blasted from a tree with a shotgun, but survived the attack. Vets say it is still touch and go


Queensland police are continuing investigations into a shooting attack on a baby koala after it was found riddled with pellets beside its dead mother.

The tiny animal, nicknamed Frodo, received a fractured skull, and gun pellets were found scattered throughout her body, damaging her intestines.

The shooting took place at at the late Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, and although the mother was killed, vets are doing all they can to save her baby.


Cruel: The koala has 15 pellets embedded in her body but amazingly is clinging onto life. Vets will try to remove more pellets if they feel Frodo is strong enough


Vets at the zoo said it was touch and go whether Frodo, who was blasted from a tree with a shotgun on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, will survive.
Stomach and intestinal perforations have been repaired and three pellets removed, including from the skull, but a further 12 remain.

'She's in a critical condition, but if she can be stabilised she will undergo further surgery to remove pellets and repair damage,' said vet Amber Gillett.

Miss Gillet said Frodo was receiving intravenous antibiotics, fluids and pain relief, as well as blood transfusions.

'We are stunned to see this kind of animal cruelty and cannot begin to fathom why somebody would want to shoot a koala that poses no threat to them,' she added.


Tender loving care: Staff at the vetinary hospital have been giving Frodo intravenous antibiotics, fluids and pain relief, as well as blood transfusions in an attempt to keep her alive


Callous attack: The defenceless animal rests after surgery to remove some of the pellets. Vets are hoping her condition will stabilise enough for further surgery


Mr Mark Townend, a senior officer with the RSPCA, said his organisation would provide any help needed to search for the culprit and bring cruelty charges.

Outraged Australians have called for the person who shot the koalas to receive the same punishment.

Koalas were declared a protected species in the 1930s, after their numbers fell dramatically due to the fur trade. and deliberate killing of koalas become extinct in the state of South Australia.

Scores of people sent their good wishes to Frodo, saying they hoped she would pull through.

Frodo remains in a critical condition at a wildlife hospital on the Sunshine Coast.

The maximum penalty for shooting a koala is a $225,000 fine or two years in jail.


source: dailymail

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Fastest koala in the west: Lucky marsupial gets stuck in car grill after being hit at 50mph... and survives

By Mail Foreign Service

Get me out, sport! The koala can be seen wedged into the grill of the car after it was struck at 50mph


Koalas are famously chilled, laid-back creatures who don't like a lot of excitement.

So imagine the shock this little critter suffered after it was hit by a car in Australia and got stuck in the front grill.

The vehicle struck the fully grown male koala near Narrawong in Victoria's south west after leaving the town of Portland, west of Melbourne.

The driver, who was travelling at about 50mph, hit the brakes after striking the animal with his Ford Falcon on the Princes Highway.


Seriously, this is not comfortable: The koala survived without a scratch


Assuming the animal was dead, he was stunned to find the koala very much alive and wedged in the car's front grill.

The shocked marsupial was trapped just under the licence plate with its front paws and head hanging out the front of the vehicle.

The driver phoned Portland's after-hours veterinary service before driving 15 cautious kilometres at low speed back into town.

Local veterinarian Lisia Sturm was astounded to find the animal had survived without a scratch.

'It looked quite surprised - if koalas can look surprised,' Dr Sturm told ninemsn.
'It had its bum wedged right in there meaning it couldn't get out.

'But he was a big boy and looked really healthy. He didn't have any injuries at all not even a graze.'

The koala was cut from the grill with bolt cutters.

It was kept under observation for the rest of the day before being released back into its prior habitat later that afternoon.

Dr Sturm said the koala's amazing escape showed it was important for drivers to stop and examine an animal following an accident before seeking veterinarian treatment.


source: dailymail

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