|
|
Mid-South Coast Newsletter
September 2022 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Feature
An index of all past articles in this newsletter is now available. Find information, news, resources, stories from past newsletter issues with links to the relevant issue in the web-based archive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Two masked lapwing chicks had fallen down a drain on the highway at Burrill Lake. Janelle Renes accompanied by Olympia’s husband Philip Hendry responded to the rescue call. |
|
|
|
|
|
They were able to enlist two nearby police officers to stop the traffic while Scott from Shoalhaven Council took the drain lid off and climbed down for the chicks.
One chick had died but the surviving chick was rehydrated by Olympia and later she and Philip were able to reunite it with its parents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Photo: Baby seal found away from coast by Ty Kaden. |
|
|
|
|
Seal Pup Found in Wheat Crop
A wheat farmer on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia was surprised to find a juvenile seal amidst his wheat crop, 3 km from the coast. It was very skinny and must have lost its way.
The farmer wrapped it in a towel and took it to the sea where it shuffled off into the water.
"Aaron Machado from the Australian Marine Wildlife Research Rescue Organisation said it appeared to be an 18-month-old juvenile long-nosed fur seal.” He said it appeared to be "very sick, very malnourished”.
"Mr Machado said while he appreciated people's 'good intentions' in wanting to help, anyone who comes across a seal should contact his organisation or the National Parks and Wildlife Service before approaching them."
Ref: Brooke Neindorf, Juvenile seal found in a South Australian wheat crop, almost 3km from nearest beach, ABC News, 7 July 2022.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Photo: Freya, the walrus, resting on a boat at an Oslo fjord, in July by Tor Erik Schrder |
|
|
|
|
Walrus Euthanised in Norway
A 600 kg female Walrus named Freya that regularly basked in the sun on one of Oslo’s fjords has been euthanised because she was deemed a threat to human safety.
"Freya had already been sighted in the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden and chose to spend part of the summer in Norway.” The walrus is a protected species.
The problem was that people came from far and wide to see Freya and would not keep their distance. "Despite repeated appeals, curious onlookers continued to approach her, sometimes with children in tow, to take photographs."
Ref: Agence France-Presse, Freya the walrus euthanised after crowds at Oslo fjord refuse to stay away, The Guardian, 14 August 2022.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Photo: Casey, a kangaroo joey with Puffy Face Syndrome at Wild2Free in 2021. |
|
|
|
|
Puffy Face Syndrome
Our branch recently had a callout for a kangaroo with Puffy Face Syndrome that had to be euthanised.
Puffy Face Syndrome was first discovered in early 2020 and in 2021 several wild kangaroo joeys in our area came down with it and died, despite being rescued and given the recommended treatment of Dexamethasone. Then a joey in care at Wild2Free caught it in October 2021.
The syndrome is thought to be caused by a virus, perhaps insect-borne. Investigations are ongoing. Joeys are found to be depressed, hunched, slow to respond, and with marked swelling of the face or abdomen. Wallabies can also be affected.
Ref: Wild2Free Inc. - Kangaroo Sanctuary, Facebook, 29 October 2021. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Animal Species Catching COVID |
|
|
Minks, hamsters, dogs and cats can get COVID. A first effort at tracking reported animal cases is shown above. Of course there are likely to be many more unreported cases. Symptoms range from a runny nose to myocarditis and sudden death. It is likely these animals got COVID from human contact (although it is not clear how deer would get it from direct contact). In July 2022 there was the first evidence of a person catching COVID from a cat after it sneezed in the face of a vet.
Ref: Max Barnhart, How many animal species have caught COVID? First global tracker has (partial) answers, NPR, 5 August 2022. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Photo: Proposed area of development by Dean Lewins/AAP
|
|
|
|
|
Save Manyana’s Wildlife
"The government is on the hunt for a block of forest to replace 21 hectares that has been carved out of the Conjola National Park to be cleared for a road upgrade.
"The government must replace this loss to the National Park estate with other land of at least the same size and ecological value. And it so happens that there is a very precious 21 hectare block adjoining Conjola National Park at Manyana that the community has been campaigning to protect from development since 2008!" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southern Bent-Wing Bat
The southern bent-wing bat has been voted Australian mammal of the year for 2022.
This bat lives in caves in southwest Victoria and southeast South Australia and is about the size of a 50c coin (not including its wings). It is critically endangered.
"The bats can fly more than 70 kilometres in just a few hours and colonies can collectively munch on hundreds of kilograms of flying insects each night – many of which are agricultural pests." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Photo: Milk bottle with sterilised glass marble in it by Nalda Paterson |
|
|
|
|
What I learned from…
What I learned from preparing milk formulas for joeys:
A lot of the formulas we make up for little ones in care are really quite fatty and prior to putting the formula from a larger container into the individual feed bottles it has to be given quite a vigorous shake to disperse fats. Look at the photo and in the bottle with the blue lid you will see a dark circle. What is it? It is a sterilised glass marble. This behaves like a ball bearing that you find in spray paints. The marble acts in the same way, dispersing the fats evenly through the rest of the milk. No need to shake vigorously anymore. I find it works well.
NB: Don’t put a marble into the individual feed bottles as it may block the teat.
Nalda Paterson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some Pics from WIRES Mid-South Coast |
|
|
Pouch spoons, as seen in use above, available online at Cherub Baby or on ebay. |
|
|
Goji, daughter of Mulberry who came into care as a 393g pinkie. Mulberry conceived Goji when she was 2 yrs old. Here Goji is 1.7kg and about 7 months old. Photo by Nalda Paterson. |
|
|
|
|
Brock, a brushtail possum joey, about 115 days old, found abandoned and cold. Photo by Shelley Clarke. |
|
|
Spot, a brushtail possum joey, about 115 days old, also found abandoned and cold. Photo by Shelley Clarke. |
|
|
|
|
Bumble, the wombat joey, in Nalda’s dressing gown sleeve, the cuff tight against his neck like his mother’s pouch would be. Care and photo by Nalda Paterson. |
|
|
A view of Nalda’s fridge when she had to make up 5 different formulas for 30 feeds per day (6 joeys 5 times a day), no self-feeders. Just imagine a 2am feed! Photo by Nalda Paterson. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
