GUM TIPS Web Page : www.koalahospital.org email : koalahos@midcoast.com.au

Koala Preservation of NSW Inc P.O.Box 236, Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Australia  Phone (02) 6584 1522     Fax (02) 6584 2399

Issue 4                            Mira's Memo                    December 2003

Go To............... Front Page Presidents Report Supervisors Report Rescues and Releases & Goodbye Fuzzy Roy Manning Area Report 2003 Goodbye Miss Beautiful Congratulations! Mira's Memo Tawny Frogmouth This Month's Biography Barbara Barrett Hospital Report Nightmare on Lord Street

Perch Miracle

Mira's Memo: To our new readers my name is Perch Miracle and I am a Koala, I was rescued from a bushfire and cared for by The volunteers at the Koala Hospital. I have become a celebrity because it was a miracle that I survived. I am now a permanent resident at the hospital, the editor writes about the hospital and all the comings and goings, as I, a koala, would see it.

It is breeding time again and as a result the hospital has been virtually jumping with new admissions, mostly from my friends having altercations with motor vehicles. Why people behind the wheel of a car seem to forget that this is the time that we become very restless and go on the "prowl" so to speak and that they should be more vigilant in keeping a look out for us crossing roads. We have a new admission "Crestwood Frank"(see report below) who is a bit of a looker but he has a fractured femur which now has an external fixator in place and I can't wait until he comes out of intensive care and into a yard near me so that I can give him the eye. I'm not sure about "Pacific Saul", he has a fractured skull which has rather spoilt his looks a bit, but he's a big hunk and he has proven that you can not keep a good male down. I need something to pep me up because I have been down in the doldrums lately as my popularity has been suffering. We have had three mums with little joeys admitted and they are getting all the attention-- for the life of me I don't know why- just because they are little balls of fluff and look cute and are starting to show off. Their stories are nearly as interesting as mine, they haven't been burnt to a crisp in a bushfire and lived to tell the tale. Anyway I am making sure I am on the Gumyah in full view at feeding times trying to remind people just how important I am to the hospital-- after all, how many international media stars do they have? Our overseas volunteers, Zuki from Japan and the 3 Steffi's and Hanna from Germany have tried to keep my morale up by taking heaps of photos of me.   Lutz and Sigi from Germany have also made a VCR tape and a DVD in German, in which I feature and they have forwarded copies of both for us to sell to the public, which I know is very much appreciated by all at the hospital. I have been asked to lodge a complaint from all us girl residents (7) in yard 9. We heard on the grapevine that the Georgeos "Golf Smith" was to be put to the test in our yard before he was released, just to make sure the equipment worked OK. Well, we are still waiting and he's long gone. Fair Dinkum--a joke's a joke, they really know how to hurt us girls. And just to top off my misery, a family of Tawny Frogmouth birds decided to make yrad 9 their home , and blow me down, if they aren't getting more attention than me as well. Barb, my foster mum came to me with tears in her eyes yesterday to tell me that "Golf Smith" had been found dead on the side of the road, hit by another car. Barb cared for "Golf (Smithy) Smith" at home for 4 weeks when he first came in and nursed back to health. He was found very near to the spot where he was hit the first time--will we ever the learn the dangers of crossing a busy road. Barb said she was so glad I am in yard 9 safe and well because "Pacific Saul" has also been killed after only eight days after being released. Bye for Now Perch Miracle

Meet Crestwood Frank

On a low Gunyah

With the Fixator in place

He is a young male who came to The Koala Hospital on the 14 November 2003 as a result of a motor vehicle accident on the corner of Ocean Road and Crestwood Street. He had a broken femur. An x-ray confirmed the break so we kept him on a low gunyah (tree limb) in I.C.U. until the swelling subsided enough to have the Vet, Chris Livingston apply an external fixator to the break. Once the fixator was in place he was allowed in a high gunyah in his unit where he remained under constant supervision until the 19 December when he was moved into Yard 1. His leg has been x-rayed again and the break is healing nicely and it is planned for the fixator to be removed on 14 January 2004 after which he will remain a little longer until he gets the strength back in his leg by climbing the small tree in his yard.

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