This week's image shows a koala yawning. I am taking the easy way out and showing you some koalas - old and new.
Here am I at about 8 years old nursing a koala. I was at the Koala Farm in Adelaide - sadly no longer in existence. It was like a children's zoo and we loved visiting it and getting to cuddle the koalas.
Now we are lucky enough to have koalas in our own backyard, though we don't get to cuddle them.
We called this fellow Kenneth Koala and he was a frequent visitor to our garden. So frequent in fact that he killed his favourite Eucalypt tree by demolishing every new shoot that tried to grow.
He was a friendly fellow and showed no fear of the dogs in whom he took quite an interest.
Sadly we haven't seen Kenneth in the last 12 months and we suspect that he may have died.
This is a younger koala than Kenneth and may well have been a lady coming to visit him
Much to our regret we very rarely have koala visitors any more. We do hear them in the trees, but now that Kenneth is gone, the current crop seem more wary of the dogs and don't come as close as Kenneth did. We do miss him, despite the dead tree.
Liz Needle - linking with Sepia Saturday
Great that you have had koalas in your own backyard, but sad that you don't see them any more. I suppose you get used to the noise at night after a while! We only see them occasionally at Hawks Nest and we don't manage to get up there very often since moving from Sydney to Melbourne 11 years ago.
ReplyDeleteHi Liz, it is very easy to lose that blogging mojo but I’m glad you are back. I loved the post and all the pics of Koalas. My son has lived in Adelaide for the last eight years and also has a resident (just one) Koala in his backyard. They would not dare to touch it, but it does come down from the trees and take a drink out of a bowl if they hold it still for long enough. Maybe Kenneth Koala has just moved home. He could be the one now living in my son’s back yard!!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really stupid now that I'm thinking it but it never occurred to me that koalas came that close to people's homes. I hate squirrels in my yard - I doubt I could take it if something bigger like a koala was hanging around.
ReplyDeleteI would be in Heaven if I had (friendly) wildlfe so near to my home. You are so lucky; thank you for these wonderful pictures.
ReplyDeleteWe put up a hummingbird feeder and have hummingbirds. And a little plump brown bird of some sort comes every day and takes a bath in our fountain. We see wild turkeys now and again, and once a large buck in full velvet stood on our front walk just outside the breakfast nook window which startled us as we were sitting in the 'nook playing cards at the time! Koalas would be a cute addition but alas, we have no eucalyptus trees here for them to nibble on. Only oaks, pines, and the maple tree in our front yard. Oh well. :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos of these adorable critters!
ReplyDeleteYou win the prize this weekend for sure! Koalas in the garden definitely beat my occasional opossum, or raccoon. But you mentioned hearing them, what kind of noise to they make? Are they considered a neighborhood nuisance?
ReplyDeleteMust have been so wonderful to have had Koalas in your garden Liz.
ReplyDeleteLiz, like in your garden they come and go between the bush and other gardens, ours are a transient lot. Great photos of your visitors.
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