Hello Koala Lovers,

Over the last week or so, two of our team have had wild Koalas visit them. Clare, just at the end of her street, where a mum and joey were seen. Clare, as you probably know has just had her own joey, so it was thrilling all round. Then Derek had a mum and joey in his tree at 4 a.m. where he taped the following noises!

What I think was happening with Derek’s visitors was that a young male was trying to mate with our lovely mum and she was not having a bar of it. During mating, the young joey can get injured and it has been my experience that Koala mums are very protective when these males get interested in them. It is coming up to breeding season, so I think our young man might have been a bit too eager. It is such a sorrowful sound isn’t it?

Many years ago, I was with Cornell University researchers taping the sounds of mating at Lone Pine. They are/were preserving the sounds of wild animals which could become extinct. Well our Koalas will not because one day there will be a Koala Protection Act that will stop their trees going down; if you have your trees, then, extinction is impossible. No Tree No Me.

Do not forget it is Save the Koala Month in September. This is the time when Koalas are out and about looking for future mates and these noises which used to ring loud and clear in the bush are still being heard, but in lesser numbers and in lesser spots in our country.

I am going to leave any other thoughts because I would love you to take the 30 or so seconds it takes to listen to one of the dearest sounds you will hear today.

Thanks as always for your full support.

Regards,

Deborah