A Child Is Born

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday October 14, 2008

A child is born

Port Macquaries Koala Hospital is celebrating the birth of

a baby joey, a rare and important event, and the baby son

of Bonny can be viewed at the hospital until early 2009

before it is returned to the wild.

Bonny is one of 250 to 300 koalas rescued every year

by The Koala Hospital and the birth of her joey is nature

taking its course - against the odds. Named after the area

where she was found, Bonny suffered severe burns to her

claws and paws in 2001 and would never have survived

on her own.

Recently, a wild koala in the neighbourhood - nicknamed

Randy for obvious reasons - broke into the hospital and

enjoyed a night under the eucalypts with Bonny, with the

results now apparent.

Bonny is just one of many success stories at The Koala

Hospital, says the hospitals Helen Meers. We rescue

many mothers with joeys in their pouches, but rarely are

they born under these circumstances.

The Koala Hospital is the only one of its kind in Australia

and the worlds fi rst hospital dedicated solely to the care

and preservation of koalas. It attracts 20,000 visitors a

year with viewings at no cost and a daily feed, walk and

talk tour at 3pm.

Anyone can also adopt a koala - costs are from $40 per

year in Australia and $50 from overseas - which is the

most important revenue source to fund the treatment

room, eight intensive care units, a 24-hour rescue and

treatment operation and multiple recovery yards.

The Koala Hospital is open seven days a week, 365 days

a year from 8 am to 4.30 pm.