Local Bernard Jean loves Noosa’s koalas and can name almost every single one – so when he heard about a koala in distress he had to share her story.
In an email to koala conservation enthusiasts, Bernard wrote about Coorah – a new koala found high in a tree but in desperate need of medical attention.
“This is a small story to motivate your readers to help our lovely furry friends when they see one in distress on the same tree for several days in a row or even not moving at the bottom of a tree,” he wrote.
“Saving one animal won’t change the world, but it will change the world for that one animal.”
Bernard explains that on Saturday 31 December in the late afternoon two residents, Emma and Glen, reported on a koala sighting Facebook page that they had spotted a koala high in a tree at Cooroibah.
“We are slightly concerned that the tree it is in is very close to the road,” they said.
Bernard and Glen went to check on the koala the next day and decided to name her Coorah, but soon realised the koala had a large cystitis on her rear.
“The poor girl must have been in a lot of pain,” he said.
“I called Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital Rescue Team who came on Monday (2 January) to assess the situation. Two tree climbers came on Tuesday (3 January) and started preparing for the rescue. Unfortunately Coorah decided to climb to the top of the tree, out of reach of the tree climbers to feed with some fresh leaves.”
Bernard said Coorah was still high in the tree on Wednesday and Thursday but “time was pressing as she was in need of urgent treatment”. The rescuers were in case she moved to another tree.
“We might have lost her forever,” Bernard said.
“Some difficult decision was to be made as generally koalas don’t stay for that long in the same tree. At that time my thoughts were, ‘Please Coorah, make it easier for us to catch you but again you are a free wildlife spirit and we understand that you might decide otherwise’,” he said.
On Friday, after seven days spent in the same tree, the rescuers couldn’t wait any longer to have save Coorah. The group called Koala Rescue Queensland and two tree-climbers came to the site.
Bernard reports that after a very difficult and risky climb, “our beautiful Coorah was finally rescued”. She was taken to a local vet where she was put on antibiotics.
“She really enjoyed her butt soak and wash and felt a lot better just having that cleaned up,” Bernard said.
“Coorah is only a young girl of about three years, so is just coming into maturity. She now has her own enclosure with towels wrapped around the branches to protect her sore bottom. Fingers crossed that she’ll survive her ordeal. At the last news on Saturday she was doing well despite it being early days.
“Many thanks to Glen and Emma who live next door to where they spotted her. Please wish Coorah well so that she can pull through this and be safely released in the wild.”
Anyone who wants to learn more about koalas can visit the Queensland Koala Crusaders’ Facebook page or visit their website www.koalacrusaders.org.au.
Anyone who spots an injured koala can phone the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital on 1300 369 652 in an emergency or the Rescue Unit on 5436 2000, Koala Rescue Queensland is available 24 hours a day on 0423 618 740 or 0431 300 729.
