Koalas

[willedoo]

I saw a video of a koala being rescued from floodwater and it got me thinking how I haven't seen one in the wild for a long time. Last time would have been in the St.George/Surat area in the 1980's. Most of my place is designated koala habitat by the State Government, but I doubt koalas have been seen here for many years.

 

It's good that they protect the habitat though in the event that one day koalas might need it. I would think the subdivision and population growth bringing more dogs to the area would be a factor as well as the habitat loss.

 

I can remember seeing them all the time when I was a kid and up until my mid teens. The saddest thing was those hoons that used to drive around and shoot at anything that moved. Even the koalas weren't safe from them; we came across a shot koala near the roadside one day.

[facthunter]

Had a lot of them here on my 11 acres but none now. Dogs and traffic. I planted ribbon gums for them which they could eat bare in no time. Previously known as Manna gums Often have about 20 kangaroos and lots of migratory birds and cockatoos & Magpies.  Nev

[rgmwa]

There are plenty in the Portland area (Vic). Lots on the golf course. I’ve seen one on the side of the road on the outskirts of the town. They retrieved one from the end of the breakwater a while ago and my parents had them in their backyard. 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Try and get through a Millenial's annoying attempts at humour. This is old, but an example of what may well be a major root cause of the Koala's decline.. (i.e. not just NSW, but all goivernment corrupti9on and general greed):

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Jerry_Atrick

[facthunter]

I've still got a "Blinky Bill" book I got when I was about 10. The Poor B things are having a really bad time and it would be a crying shame if we couldn't look after them better. WE have some incredible native animals. (Consider the amazing Platypus as an example).  Nev

[Bruce Tuncks]

I live in a farm south of Edenhope vic. On a trip to Portland, we saw lots of strange little trees left over from bluegum harvesting. We were told that these were left for the koalas.

There must be some around, but I have not seen one myself.

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Bruce Tuncks

[facthunter]

I used to have 3or 4 on this block 50 years ago and in the local  area. Macedon,  you'd often have to stop to let one cross the road frequently. Not so NOW.  Nev

[onetrack]

We got rid of those pesky Koalas here on the left coast around the end of the Plasticine Age. The natives probably ate them into extinction - but they'd never admit to it - and the records from back then, are a bit sketchy.

[willedoo]

In a of of the photos and video seen of koalas in the wild, they have a motley looking bum with patches of hair missing. Some type of disease maybe.

[facthunter]

Apparently eating gum leaves makes them taste really bad.  Nev

[onetrack]

Chlamydia is rife amongst them, isn't it? I understand it's the STD of Koalas.

[willedoo]

3 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Apparently eating gum leaves makes them taste really bad.  Nev

I guess we all know acacias are edible fodder for cattle, sheep and goats etc.. Gidyea has that distinctive pungent smell, much more so after rain, and it has often been described as a cross between eucalyptus and a fart. One day I was wondering what it tasted like to the cattle, so grabbed a leaf and chewed on it. It was woeful and tasted just like the smell. I couldn't get that awful taste out of my mouth for hours. I imagine if cattle were grazing on nothing but gidyea up until slaughter, it would affect the taste of the meat. Usually the only times they are on a sole diet of mulga or gidyea is when drought feeding, so they would not be in condition for sale for slaughter. Tip: don't ever try to eat a gidyea leaf.

[facthunter]

It's well accepted that an animals/fish/birds diet will very much affect the taste of it..Nev

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

I've still got a "Blinky Bill" book I got when I was about 10.

Nev, that's a great thing to have kept. I've got my dad's copy of Winnie the Pooh from when he was a kid, it's probably late 1920's issue. I've only got one childhood book kept from when I was a kid. At primary school, at the end of each school year, we were all presented with a book with an award label glued to the inside front cover. The one I have is Angus the Tartan Partan, a story about a crab.

Edited July 16, 2023 by willedoo