Our koala day, will then venture into Smiths creek reserve Bungonia Rd, Leumeah NSW 2560. Further details will be provided in the chat group.
Please bring Binoculars, smartphone with a high-quality camera or zoom lens. Spotting wild koalas requires patience! 🐨🐨
Snake Man 🐍 aka koala man 😎 will not be able to lead this event as he is working on other projects.
Note, koalas sleep 18 to 22 hours a day and our mission is to spot the koalas.
Mastering koala spotting requires more than just looking up. To successfully find koalas in the bush, you need to know the telltale signs of their presence—from specific tree markings to calling sounds—and how to identify if a koala is healthy or in urgent need of veterinary assistance.
Terms & Indicators:
Scat: Koala droppings. Fresh scat smells strongly of eucalyptus and looks like a small, greenish-brown cigar or a rugby ball with pointy ends.
Scratchings: Vertical claw marks left on tree trunks. Koalas leave wide tracks where their claws propel them upward.
Eyeballing: Scanning the tree canopy for mid-sized, grey lumps. Koalas are often found dozing in the "forks" of gum trees where branches split.
Spotlighting: Using a headlamp or thermal scope to search at night. You look for eyeshine, which is the bright reflection of the koala's eyes.
Bellowing: The loud, pig-like grunting sound male koalas make during the breeding season (roughly September to January) to attract females.
Health Warning Signs;
Wet Bottom: A dark brown, wet-looking rump. This is a primary indicator of cystitis, a symptom of chlamydial disease.Dirty Tail: Another term for a wet bottom, where dripping urine discolors the koala's fur.
Wasted / Emaciated: When a koala's ribs are highly visible or its face looks sunken due to illness.
The day will provide tips on how to properly scan the tree canopy and the base of the trunk when searching for koalas.
Please also bring with you fluids for hydration, snacks and your own rubbish collection bag. We will take our rubbish with us.
Hope that it is a sunny day ☀️⛅️
All Trails map:
https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/australia/new-south-wales/smiths-creek-reserve-loop?p=-1&sh=aktw17&utm_medium=trail_share&utm_source=alltrails_virality
Event venue
Smith Creek Reserve, Campbelltown,NSW,Australia
Tickets
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