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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Museum stuffs Sam the Koala and puts her on display as symbol of hope after Australian wildfires

Immortalised: Sam the koala has been stuffed and exhibited at the Melbourne Museum (left). The marsupial shows off her bandages following the bushfires of 2008 (right)


A koala who became a symbol of hope following Australia’s Black Saturday bushfires has been stuffed and put on display in a museum, following her death.

Sam shot to fame after being pictured drinking from fireman David Tree’s water bottle during the 2008 Melbourne fires, which claimed 173 lives.

Sam herself was badly burnt in the blaze but recovered from the third-degree burns on her paws after being cared for by a volunteer at the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter, where 100 fire-injured koalas recuperated after the inferno.

Sadly, Sam died in August last year, after being stricken with Chlamydia, which affects around 50 per cent of Australia’s koala population.

Now Sam, who was even publicly grieved by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, has been stuffed and is on display at the Melbourne Museum.

The exhibit shows Sam in her recovery phase, complete with pink bandages covering her burns.

Mr Tree said of the exhibit: ‘I think this will give people a chance to get up close and personal with what happened.’


Hope: Sam shot to fame after being pictured taking a drink from fireman David Tree's water bottle during the fires


He told the Herald Sun newspaper: ‘It just shows you not only humans suffer in bushfires, but so do our native wildlife.’

Patrick Greene, who is chief executive of the Museum Victoria, said he hoped the exhibit would educate the public about the tragic fires.

He said: ‘Sam became a symbol of the enormous loss felt by so many in the aftermath of last year’s terrible bushfires, and for this reason I believe it’s important that visitors from Victoria, across Australia and from overseas can see Sam and be reminded of her story and the events of Black Saturday.

The fires destroyed more than 2,000 dwellings, leaving 7,500 people homeless in Victoria.





source: dailymail

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koala, very cute

A koala chews eucalyptus leaves at an animal park in Sydney September 26, 2008. They're cute, they're cuddly and, in these times of financial woe, they make an affordable festive gift that's also good for the soul - adopt a rescued koala. Picture taken September 26, 2008. To go with Reuters Life! LIFE-KOALA.


In this Sept. 23, 2009 photo, a mother and baby koala are seen at the Sydney Wildlife World in Sydney, Australia. A study on koalas has found an unexpected consequence of habitat loss is a latent disease called chlamydiosis that already affects 50-90 percent of the animals.



In this Sept. 23, 2009 photo, head senior keeper Harley Everson weighs a baby koala at the Sydney Wildlife World in Sydney, Australia. A study on koalas has found an unexpected consequence of habitat loss is a latent disease called chlamydiosis that already affects 50-90 percent of the animals.



A juvenile koala is seen at an animal park near Melbourne October 15, 2009. Koalas are marsupial herbivores native to Australia that feeds on almost entirely eucalypt leaves.



Mother, Geogie carries her joey, Kirrhi, the newest member of the Los Angeles Zoo's Koala family, Friday Dec. 12, 2008 in Los Angeles. Kirrhi, who was born April 3, 20008, spent six months developing in the mother's pouch, before emerging at Los Angeles Zoo.



Mother, Geogie carries her joey, Kirrhi, the newest member of the Los Angeles Zoo's koala family, Friday Dec. 12, 2008 in Los Angeles. Kirrhi, who was born April 3, 20008, spent six months developing in the mother's pouch, before emerging at Los Angeles Zoo.



This image provided by the San Diego Zoo shows a koala joey born March 24, 2008, at the San Diego Zoo holding onto its mother, Orana, as she climbs into her perching tree on Thursday Dec. 4, 2008 at the San Diego Zoo. The female joey weighs almost two pounds; she is the first koala born at the Zoo in almost two years and is the eighth joey for Orana. The San Diego Zoo has the largest colony of koalas outside of Australia.



FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2009 file photo, Sam the koala is treated at the Mountain Ash Wildlife Center in Rawson, Australia, as she recovers from burns suffered in devastating wildfires. Sam, made famous when her image being fed water by a firefighter was widely publish, is about to undergo a risky surgery for a life-threatening disease, animal shelter officials said Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009.



A koala named Sam receives water from Country Fire Authority volunteer fire fighter Dave Tree after being rescued from the Victorian bushfires in the area of Mirboo North, about 120km (75 miles) southeast of Melbourne, in this February 8, 2009 file photo. Sam, who won the hearts of the world when video footage of her rescue from Australia's deadly bushfires six months ago hit the internet, died on August 6, 2009 after losing a second battle for survival.


credit photo: AP

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The Australian MotoGP Grand Prix Drivers visit to a wildlife park at Maru Koala and Animal Park

125cc rider Julian Simon of Spain feed wallabies at a wildlife park near Phillip Island some 100km south-east of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP Grand Prix will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18.



CORRECTION-CITY Italian 250cc rider Marco Simoncelli (L) feeds an albino kangaroo during a visit to a wildlife park near the Phillip Island track, some 100 kms southeast of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18, 2009.



CORRECTION-CITY Australian MotoGP rider Chris Vermeulen has his hand gripped by a kangaroo during a visit to a zoo near the Phillip Island track, some 100 kms south-east of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18, 2009.



250cc rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy feeds an albino kangaroo at a wildlife park near Phillip Island some 100km south-east of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP Grand Prix will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18.



An Albino Kangaroo wonders what the fuss is all about when MotoGP rider Chris Vermeulen of Australia, 250cc rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy, and 125cc rider Julian Simon of Spain came to visit his wildlife park near Phillip Island some 100km south-east of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP Grand Prix will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18.



CORRECTION-CITY Australian MotoGP rider Chris Vermeulen (L), Italian 250cc rider Marco Simoncelli (C) and Spain's 125cc rider Julian Simon (R) feed kangaroos during a visit to a wildlife park near the Phillip Island track, some 100 kms southeast of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18, 2009.



CORRECTION-CITY Italian 250cc rider Marco Simoncelli (L) pretends to eat leaves as a koala (R) looks on during a visit to a zoo near the Phillip Island track, some 100 kms south-east of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18, 2009.



125cc rider Julian Simon of Spain (L) and 250cc rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy (R) pose with a koala at a wildlife park near Phillip Island some 100km south-east of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP Grand Prix will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18.



CORRECTION-CITY Italian 250cc rider Marco Simoncelli (L) with a koala (R) looks on during a visit to a wildlife park near the Phillip Island track, some 100 kms southeast of Melbourne on October 15, 2009. The Australian MotoGP will be raced at the Phillip Island circuit on October 18, 2009.



125cc Bancaja Aspar team rider Julian Simon of Spain poses for a photo with a koala at Maru Koala and animal park 25km north of Phillip Island, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.



250cc Metis Gilera team rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy, left, and 125cc Bancaja Aspar team rider Julian Simon of Spain feed Kangaroos at Maru Koala and animal park 25km north of Phillip Island, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.



Suzuki MotoGP rider Chris Vermeulen of Australia, left, 250cc Metis Gilera team rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy, center, and 125cc Bancaja Aspar team rider Julian Simon of Spain feed kangaroos at Maru Koala and animal park 25km north of Phillip Island, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.



250cc Metis Gilera team rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy feeds a wallaby at Maru Koala and animal park 25km north of Phillip Island, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.



125cc Bancaja Aspar team rider Julian Simon of Spain feeds a wallaby at Maru Koala and animal park 25km north of Phillip Island, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.



250cc Metis Gilera team rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy keeps an eye on a playful koala at Maru Koala and animal park 25km north of Phillip Island, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.



250cc Metis Gilera team rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy feeds an albino Kangaroo at Maru Koala and Animal Park, north of Phillip Island, Australia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. The Australian Grand Prix motorcycling is scheduled for this weekend on the island.


credit photo: AP,Reuters,Gettyimages

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