Racee has a glint in her eye and a joey in her pouch :) Hers will be the fourth that will soon starting looking out at the world. Thank you for such lovely comments and some great questions on my photos and koalas.
@vignouse interesting comment and such an example of why we can only tell a koalas age by seeing it emerge from the pouch, first seeing it as an obvious sub-adult, or by examining the molar teeth (which means an anaesthetic) to see how much wear is there.
Racee arrived on the property as a sub-adult in 2016 and had her first joey last year. So she is around 3-4 years old now, only a young girl.
I was stunned when Greta was examined at the vet in 2016 to discover she was 10 - 11 years old as she looked to me like a 3-4 year old.
I must say - when you put Racee and Maxine side by side, and they are a similar age going by their weight on arriving here and having first joeys together last year - Racee 'looks' far older than the pretty little Maxine.
In order going from oldest to youngest the regular girls are
Greta (@13)
Mist (age totally unknown but first seen with a joey in 2012 so at least 8, probably closer to 9 or 10)
Racee, Maxine (3-4)
Stevie (@3)
Stella (17 months, the most accurate as I saw her emerge from Maxine's pouch)
It's wonderful that you've recorded all the information about your Koala neighbours! We know you published a calendar (perhaps yearly?) and seeing the tags on the photograph, wonder if you keep records for a larger agency tracking the koalas. Do you post any signage that people would see and make the trip to see the koalas at your place/home? Your 365 site is singularly unique and fun to follow!
Thanks Louise :)
I wrote a database that I use to track all the data. I hope that once I have 10 years of data it might help some PHD studies or something.
At the least it is informing me of a lot of changes relating to my regen work and I use it when I submit funding applications for further regen work.
I volunteer with Friends of the Koala locally, and at present I go in there and do all the treatments on the sick/injured koalas on a Sat and Sun morning.
They have a 'report a sighting' feature on their website. I don't manage that, but I do help with data and statistical reporting.
I do publish a calendar each year, the fourth one coming up! It helps pay for professional regen help and I always donate a portion back to Friends of the Koala as well.
Funny you ask, a sign is being set up at present as we do a lot of work on cleaning up the front corner of the property, clearing out the weed on the council land mostly, but that then invades so needs to be done.
I do allow people to visit by appointment, but I'm not open to the public as such. I do run field days at least once a year to educate people about koalas and habitat regen.
Thank you so much for your kind words, and for being so interested. This is such a great place full of such lovely people :)
oh, the little image that is part of my watermark is Mist in 2012 with a joey. Back then I wasn't aware of nose pattern recognition and it was about 2016 before I stumbled back on the original large image and realised it was her :) Hence I have an idea of her minimum age ... it's amazing to see the older girls going so strong when I work with so many very sad cases in the care centre.
Racee arrived on the property as a sub-adult in 2016 and had her first joey last year. So she is around 3-4 years old now, only a young girl.
I was stunned when Greta was examined at the vet in 2016 to discover she was 10 - 11 years old as she looked to me like a 3-4 year old.
I must say - when you put Racee and Maxine side by side, and they are a similar age going by their weight on arriving here and having first joeys together last year - Racee 'looks' far older than the pretty little Maxine.
In order going from oldest to youngest the regular girls are
Greta (@13)
Mist (age totally unknown but first seen with a joey in 2012 so at least 8, probably closer to 9 or 10)
Racee, Maxine (3-4)
Stevie (@3)
Stella (17 months, the most accurate as I saw her emerge from Maxine's pouch)
I wrote a database that I use to track all the data. I hope that once I have 10 years of data it might help some PHD studies or something.
At the least it is informing me of a lot of changes relating to my regen work and I use it when I submit funding applications for further regen work.
I volunteer with Friends of the Koala locally, and at present I go in there and do all the treatments on the sick/injured koalas on a Sat and Sun morning.
They have a 'report a sighting' feature on their website. I don't manage that, but I do help with data and statistical reporting.
I do publish a calendar each year, the fourth one coming up! It helps pay for professional regen help and I always donate a portion back to Friends of the Koala as well.
Funny you ask, a sign is being set up at present as we do a lot of work on cleaning up the front corner of the property, clearing out the weed on the council land mostly, but that then invades so needs to be done.
I do allow people to visit by appointment, but I'm not open to the public as such. I do run field days at least once a year to educate people about koalas and habitat regen.
Thank you so much for your kind words, and for being so interested. This is such a great place full of such lovely people :)