CHILDREN OF THE BUSH

Evening Star, Issue 22146, 28 September 1935, Page 2

CHILDREN OF THE BUSH

SYDNEY'S BEAR SANCTUARY [Written by W.W.B. for the ‘ Evening Star.’] For old and young alike the koala bear has an irresistible appeal. He is such a quaint friendly .little fellow, and the attitudes which he can assume are so amusing that instinctively one’s heart goes out to him with his fat, round body, thick woolly fur, small, keen brown eyes, and rubbery black nose. He has lived so long in trees that when he is put on the ground he walks with a clumsy, shambling gait that is rather pitiful to \vatch; but among the branches of his beloved

* lie is graceful and' comparaagile; fob his powerful pointed claws can grasp the branches so tightly that he is by no means easy to dislodge, In hjf habits he is mainly rioctural, preferring' to'’ sleep iff tile daytime in the fork of a tree. To. see him curled up in what would seem to bo a most uncomfortable and precarious position, rousing himself only to gaze wonderingly and incredulously at the queer creatures who delight in standing upright upon the flat and uninteresting ground, is a spectacle to cheer the saddest heart, and make the most . nonchalant of human beings wonder just how the koala manages to avoid permanent sciatica. Biit’the little native bear has no qualms whatever—he knows perfectly well when he is safe and comfortable. There are a . few native hears in Taronga Park, Sydney’s wonderful Zoological Gardens,; but it is tp Koala Park, within 20 miles of the city, that wo must cm to witness', the koala* at his best. There Mr Noel Burnett has for several years struggled to create a home for the native|bear ; , and no one who has seen the 'sanctuary can fail to realise what splendid > work is being done in the interests of the koala. It is true that for 20 years the bear enjoyed a form of protection; it is likewise true' that in 1927. the Queensland Government declared: ah open season for the trapping and . shooting of the koala, and that some ' 9,500 people suddenly descended upon these inoffensive animals and in the short space -of a single _ month massacred, according to official reports, 684,738 native . bears. - • Add - to that the 200,000 young' koalas that were estimated to have perished at the same time, and you will have some idea of the seriousness of the situation. Of course' the furs were worth _ 6d apiece, and money is always a consideration—to some people. It is interesting, though not altogether pleasant, to reflect that the Australian aboriginal had hitherto left the koala practically unmolested.Formerly, almost the whole of Eastern ■ ’Australia was the native bear’s happy • hunting-ground; but to-day he is rapidly becoming rare in New South Wales and Victoria, and in South Australia he is quite extinct. Only in Queensland can bo be found to any appreciable extent. Hence Mr Burnet has undertaken the task of preserving the koala, and after many years of research, has gained a comprehensive and exceedingly practical knowledge of the native bear’s life and habits. He has studied him from every point of view, and knows more about his 65 bears than many a man does about his own children. The task is not a light one; for it involves a tremendous amount of care and attention, and a close acquaintance not only with the boar’s habits, but also with his diseases and minor ailments. The, cucalypts have been specially studied, for the remarkable thing is -this, that out of 400 different species of gum-tree in Australia the native bear selects only about a dozen for his daily diet. Indeed ho is most exclusive, and really rather faddy about His food, for he is the only animal in the world that lives entirely on gumleaves, He refuses to drink, but will chew to further orders, A drink of water may kill him, because he does not know how to swallow, and may din of mechanical pneumonia if given water too hastily. So, when ill, he must l>o taught to swallow his medicine, or the cure will prove worse than the disease. With regard to his food, we ought to mention - in passing that when he really feels in need of a little luxury, he will feast upon a handful of dirt. Lost this should repel the fastidious reader we hasten to assure him that the dirt has certain ■ bone-buildmg properties, and that the koala, being quite, intelligent as far as l us own wellbeing is concerned, is no? to bo

despised on account of his unusual tastes. , „ , . , Still, his staple food is gum-leaves, and the country round Sydney is scoured for miles in order to provide him with the particular brand that he favours. ' The leaves are lashed to a bluegum tree—it sounds rather like carrying coals to Newcastle, but it must be remembered that where the koala sleeps he does not necessarily feed-and the little fellow clambers down and munches them ecstatically. He looks for all the world like a rather small and supremely contented grandfather enjoying a sumptuous meal in the open air. . , , ; ~ ' The history of the koala is rather a fascinating one. His origin, speaking scientifically, is shrouded ni mystery. Some relationship he undoubtedly has the opossum, hut it is probably ft very slight one. fie is a marsupial, gregarious and migratory. His scientific name—he belongs to the genus nhascolarctns—means “ pouched bear, , but he is popularly known as a “teddy-bear.” There is a subtle irony about this misnomer,, for teddybear's are, strictly speaking, toys named after Theodore Roosevelt, President of United States, and a keen bear hunter. Let us hope that the little koala does not guess how seriously he has been libelled. The native bears’ offspring are often called “gum-babies,” a simple and appropriate title for these children, of the forest. For six months after birth the youngster grows within its mother s pouch, but even then it is m no hurry to explore the world beyond. When it does emerge, it makes a hasty examination of her nose and ears and other prominent features, and finally plucks up sufficient courage to go tor a ride upon her back.. Later on, it will make short expeditions into the branches, not venturing very far, however, and always ready, to return to its mother in case of danger. So tightly, indeed, does it cling to her that she frequently loses some of her fur, becoming ■ rather worn and patchy in certain spots. The koala bear makes a perfect mother. If her baby is taken from her, she will whimper and cry, most piteously, and when nursing it will lay it on hbr lap just as if she were a Human being. As an alternative to this procedure, she will clasp it tightly in her arms. Father bear keeps well out of the way, and if asked to give his offspring a ride would probably wax highly indignant. During the weaning process, which takes place when the koala is about 10 months old, the little bear may actually bo consoled for the loss of its mother by being given a toy teddy-bear to hug and caress At four years the bear is fullgrown, and after that it may live till it reaches the age of 15 or 20 years. But not if it is petted or pampered in any way. Bears fed on milk, ( fruit, chocolate,-' or cake will eventually be destroyed by the kindness of then fond admirers. . It is pitiful to think that an animal so eminently lovable should bo on the ■verge of utter extinction; but it is gratifying to know that some efforts are being made to preserve it. Koala Park 1 certainly does its best. It has some 40 acres of ground devoted to tlie breeding and fostering., not only of the koala, but eventually it is hoped, of many species of Australian fauna. There the native hear is kept under close scrutiny. If anything goes wrong with him h; is removed I the bear hospital and given suitable treatment. Formidable, indee -1 . are some of. the diseases which may attack him-r pystitis, nephritis, pneumonia, ophthalmia—diseases of the bladder, kidneys, lungs, and eyes. Naturally, his care involves considerable expense, for even his food is sometimes--brought from a distance of two hundred miles. Little wonder that within nine years £16,000 has been spent upon Koala Park, or that more money is urgently needed if the work is to be carried on to the fullest advantage. In the meantime let us cease to regard the koala purely as a kind of toy or pet. Lovable he certainly is; biit that is all the more reason why we should refrain from looking upon him merely as a form of entertainment. An’ animal so remarkable in such a variety of ways deserves the sympathy and practical help of every one who is privileged to see it or even hear about it; and ought not to be left to perish. Sydney can he justly proud that one. of her own, citizens has devoted himself to the preservation of a creature so utterly inoffensive, yet so exceptionally quaint and striking in its life and habits.