Issue 5.Part B

7/28/2019 Issue 5.Part B

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PART B THIS ISSUE

Ringtail PossumsFEATURE!PART B THIS ISSUE

Monitoring WildlifeFEATURE!

Green Ringtail PossumPhotograph by Helen Douglas CLICK HERE

ContentsCLICK HERE

Contact us

www.wildliferescuemagazine.comSeptember 2012 v1n5 Part B
http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/


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www.outdoorcameras.com.au
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For insect and meat-eatingbirds including magpies,kookaburras, wrens, robins,waders & birds of prey.

Provides the elevated protein,vitamins & minerals requiredin these birds diet.

Contains 52% protein, the most of anycommercially available bird diet.

Prepared from ingredients high in essentialamino acids with added vitamins, mineralsand essential fatty acids (omega 3 & 6).

Use as a high protein, live-food substitutefor all birds.

To feed as a supplement mix 2 teaspoons (10g) ofInsectivore Rearing Mix with 10g of ground mincemeat or fish. Moisten as necessary.

This makes a balanced diet with no need for

additional supplementation.

Available in 250g, 1kg & 5kg packs.

ph/fax 08 8391 1713email [email protected]

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Possums & Glidersfood for

Juveniles 2 stages of Possum Milk Replacer to reflect the

nutritional needs of different aged young

Possum 0.8 for older joeys emerging frompouch; short soft to dense long fur, eyes open;ears erect.

Adults High Protein Supplement for omnivorous species

(eg Brushtails, Sugar Gliders) can be appliedto fruit or plain biscuit to balance out protein,

vitamins & minerals in the diet. Small Carnivore Food for insectivorous species,

made as a moist crumbly mix.

Lorikeet & Honeyeater Food for nectivorousspecies (eg gliders, pygmy possums) made up asa liquid nectar.

ph/fax 08 8391 1713email [email protected]
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Bonorong Wildlife SanctuaryTASMANIA

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuarys passion and work centres around helping our native wildlife survive.

We thrive on educating as many people as possible about how we can all help save, rehabilitate andrelease injured animals. All of Bonorongs residents undergo meticulous assessments to ensure they

are healthy and happy in our care.

Are you passionateabout wildlife?

Would you like to become a wildlife rescuer?

Central to our work is Bonorongs volunteer FOC Wildlife Program.(Friends of Carers, Friends of Critters, Free of Charge.)This is Tasmanias first community run wildlife assistance service,designed to help our devoted volunteer carers and the many nativeanimals in need. We are always looking for new volunteers to help

nurse our wildlife back to health.

Once trained for Bonorongs FOC program, participants can registerto become part of Bonorongs rescue team, spread across Hobart

and beyond so that when Bonorong receives a call about an injuredcreature on its wildlife hotline can look through the database of

rescuers and find the closest person to the incident.

Being a rescuer is very non-invasive. When an animal is reported

orphaned or injured a group text is sent to all the volunteers in thatarea and people can choose to do the rescue or ignore it

if they are busy.

From that point animals are either taken to a vet or cared for by therescuer for less than 24 hours, while Greg arranges for their transport

to Bonorong where they are assigned to another group of localheroes, the wildlife carers!

Find out more atwww.bonorong.com.au/foc_program.html

Come and experience theultimate Tasmanian wildlife

evening!The ULTIMATE experience for any wildlife lover who

thrives on the up close and personal experience!

This two and a half hour fully guided feeding tour of thepark has been a massive success this year and has

received the most incredible feedback. You will beinsidethe enclosures with animals such as

tawny frogmouths, golden possum,wombats, bettongs, sugar gliders and

many more.

Hand feed a Tasmanian devil!

Most of our animals in

Tasmania arenocturnal or awakeat dusk and dawn. We time

your exclusive tour to catch perfectviewing of all the animals. All across thepark animals emerge from their daytime

slumber and reclaim the night.

Find out more atwww.bonorong.com.au/night_tours.html
http://www.bonorong.com.au/foc_program.htmlhttp://www.bonorong.com.au/night_tours.htmlhttp://www.bonorong.com.au/night_tours.htmlhttp://www.bonorong.com.au/foc_program.html


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TrowunnaWildlife

ParkSpecialised One Day Courses onTasmanian Devils and Wombats

These one day workshops are especially for those interested in acareer in the wildlife industry.

Each one day course is held on Fridays from 9am- 6pm (bookings

only), with a BBQ lunch; morning and afternoon tea provided. The

course will be delivered through demonstrations and practical

husbandry sessions consisting of handling, husbandry and

observation of animals in the captive collection on site.

The participants of the Wombat (Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis)

Workshop will also be given demonstrations and practical

husbandry sessions consisting of handling, husbandry and

observation of animals in the captive collection on site.

The cost of The Tasmanian Devil Workshop and The Wombat

Workshop includes printed materials, venue hire and personalised

hands on Tasmanian Devil/Wombat training. Each course is $300.

1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304

Telephone: +61 3 6363 6162 Fax: +61 3 6367 6213

E-mail: [email protected]

www.trowunna.com.au/
mailto:[email protected]://www.trowunna.com.au/http://www.trowunna.com.au/mailto:[email protected]


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Wildlife Rescue Magazine www.wildliferescuemagazine.com September 2012 v1n5 Part B Page 6

Publishers wordsAndrea Devos

I

ssue 5 Part B hasarrived and what a

fun issue this hasbeen.

Part A was releasedhaving its feature articleon the BrushtailPossum; along with two

success stories from wildlife carers TheSwan with Botulism and Pika the Possum.With a very interesting DIY article fromthe DIY Guy Glen Burston.

Part B is just as exciting with 3 more

stories from wildlife carers Holly theHobby, Kooky's New Beak, Little PossumGo Back to Mummy.

Vote for your favourite story bysending us an email [email protected]

The feature article in Part B is on theRescue, Rehabilitation and Release of theRingtail Possum, and we have aninteresting article on the Green Ringtail

Possum.We have the Part 2 in the three part

Series on Monitoring Wildlife withOutdoor Cameras. Why not be involvedand tell us about your experience using aninfra-red monitoring camera and be in thenext issue, please include pics.

Have you ever wondered HOWWombaroo Milk Formulas work? Wehave some important and interestinginformation on this direct fromWombaroos expert Gordon Rich.

Homeopathy in Wildlife have you

ever considered it Dr Sarah Brett fromKimberley Wildlife Rescue tells us how sheuses Homeopathy when treating wildlifethat come into care.

We want to thank everyone for theirwonderful photos which has made thisIssue such a success.

As usual, we have had wonderfulfeedback on our magazine, here is whatsome are saying:

Hi Andrea, Another marvellous edition!They keep getting bigger and better! :)

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it (hastaken me a few days!!) Keep up the great work:) Cheers, Petra and Greg BonorongWildlife Sanctuary Tasmania

Just looked at your magazine, itsawesome... So informative, and I love thearticles and pictures.Kirri Hardy, VetNurse

Hi Andrea, I downloaded last night and

read cover to cover fantastic effort and very wellpresented. Well done from Matilda'sSanctuary. Well worth the read.CheersShawn Adams Matilda's Sanctuary SA

Hey Admin, your magazine is very cool,your doing a very noble job, keep it up.Greetings from India. ShashankChepurwar.

Puggle in a PocketKevin Baker

The author of Puggle in a Pocket is Kevin Baker... Author of another exciting book - Wombat in the House.

Puggle in a Pocket is 'TRUE STORY' about Ami a puggle just 5 or 6 weeks old, she was lost from her mother, and was dugup by a dog. She loved cuddles, but there was a problem: Ami grew spines how can you cuddle a spiny echidna

To receive a FREE copy of this book email us a wildlife rescue story complete with pictures [email protected] and if chosen you will receive a beautiful copy of this wonderful childrens book.

Wildlife Rescue MagazinePublisher/Advertising 0413 587 613Email [email protected] www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

Wildlife Rescue Magazine is published six times per year.

PublisherWildlife Rescue MagazinePhone: 0413 587 613Website: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

Editor [email protected] Devos

ProductionArtizen Image Design, Brisbane, Queensland

AdvertisingWildlife Rescue MagazinePhone: 0413 587 613Email [email protected]: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

2012 The materials in this publication constitute Wildlife Rescue Magazinecopyright. Unless otherwise indicated, you MAY download the full magazine,store in cache, distribute, display, print and reproduce materials from thismagazine in an unaltered form only (retaining this notice and any headers andfooters that appear with the original materials) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or reprinted in any form or by any means for Commercial Usewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. Copyright Act 1968Wildlife Rescue Magazine 2012If you have questions about the use of this magazine or would like to apply forpermission to use articles from this magazine for commercial use, pleasecontact: [email protected] intellectual rights in all new material vests in the author or creator of suchmaterial. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of thispublication may be reproduced by any process, or any exclusive right exercised,without the written permission of Wildlife Rescue Magazine.Authors warrant that they are the owner of all intellectual property rights relatingto all material supplied by them, their officers, servants and agents to WildlifeRescue Magazine.Authors hereby indemnify Wildlife Rescue Magazine in respect of all actions,proceedings, claims and demands made against Wildlife Rescue Magazine byany person arising from the use by Wildlife Rescue Magazine of any materialsubmitted to Wildlife Rescue Magazine by the authors, their officers, servantsand agents for publication in Wildlife Rescue Magazine.The articles represent the view of the authors and the editorial represents theview of the editor.Other opinions expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the Editoror Wildlife Rescue Magazine.Please note that the material presented in this online magazine has beenprepared for the general information of the reader and should not be used orrelied upon for specific applications without first securing competent advice.

Wildlife Rescue Magazine, its members, authors, staff and consultants, do notrepresent or warrant its suitability for any general or specific use and assumeno responsibility of any kind in connection with the information here in.WARRANTY & INDEMNITY Authors, advertisers and/or advertising agenciesupon and by lodging material with the Publisher for publication or authorisingor approving of the publication of any material INDEMNIFY the Publisher, itsservants and agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoeverarising from the publication and without limiting the generality of the foregoingto indemnify each of them in relation to defamation, slander of title, breach ofcopyright, infringement of trademarks or names of publication titles, unfaircompetition or trade practices, royalties or violation of right to privacy ANDWARRANTY that the material complies with all relevant laws and regulationsand that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in thePublisher, its servants or agents and in particular that nothing therein is capableof being misleading or deceptive or otherwise in breach of Part V of the TradePractices Act 1974.ADVERTISING CONDITIONS - See advertising rates available atwww.wildliferescuemagazine.com
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Contents v1n5 Part B

COVER STORY

38 Common RingtailpossumsAndrea Devos

72 Eastern PygmypossumsSonya Stanvic

75 Green RingtailpossumsAndrea Devos

Feature stories Articles18 Motion activated

infrared cameraspart 2Andrea Devos

81 Homeopathy inwildlifeDr Sarah Brett

89 Milk for possumsWombaroo

93 Nutrition ofjuvenile possumsGordon Rich

84 Little possum goback to mummyStef Randall

85 Kookys new beakLynda Staker

WIN A PRIZE!

87 What is this?

Readers stories11 Holly the Hobby

Sue Holman
http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wombaroo.com.au/http://www.outdoorcameras.com.au/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/


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Burston BlueSilicone Wildlife Teats

Teat Size and Description Price

Mini suits 1-3mL syringes $ 1.00Medium Mini suits 5mL syringes $ 1.00Large Mini suits 10mL syringes $ 1.50Xtra Large Mini suits 20mL syringes Offset $ 2.00


A Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50B Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50B Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00C Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50E Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00

F Teat 3 Coats $ 5.002 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only


#1 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#2 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#2 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#3 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#3 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#4 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#5 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00

2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals OnlyComfortsSmall $ 3.00Medium $ 4.00Large $ 5.00

Comforts Extra SoSmall $ 3.00Medium $ 4.00Large $ 5.00

PostagePostage will be advised

1 Kangaroo Pinkie and Wallaby2 Kangaroo over 1.5kg and larger

Wallabies

3 Kangaroo 3kg to 5kg

4 Kangaroo 5kg to 10kg

5 Kangaroo 10kg to weaning.

A Flying Fox's less than 10 days

B Flying Fox's to weaning

C Unfurred Possums, Bandicoots,Antechinus and Small Mammals

E Small Koalas and WombatsF Larger Unweaned Koalas and

Wombats

Mini Teats suitable for tiny pinkies,bandicoot, wallaby and numbats

Mini Teats

Teats A-B Teat C Teats E-F

Comfort Teats Teats 1-5

Payment by direct deposit please.Either online, or you can go into your own bank and ask them to do it for you.

Note: Direct deposit can take up to three days to reach our account.Orders are Usually 7-10 Days.Account Name: GJ + JM Burston

Commonwealth BankBSB: 066179

Account No: 10173533In Reference: Please put your Name.Email: [email protected]

Inquiries to Jo: 0409 086973RMB 161 Perup Road Manjimup W.A. 6258
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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National Koala Conference

Support our work

17-19 May 2013

Westport Conference CentreBuller Street

Port Macquarie

Their Future is in Our HandsA conference focusing on all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation

Research findings, translocation and conservation of wild koalas

VolunteerPRESS HERE TO SIGN UP

DonatePRESS HERE TO MAKE A DONATION
http://www.koalahospital.org.au/support/koala-hospital-volunteershttp://www.koalahospital.org.au/support/koala-hospital-volunteershttp://www.koalahospital.org.au/adopt-a-wild-koalahttp://www.koalahospital.org.au/adopt-a-wild-koalahttp://www.koalahospital.org.au/adopt-a-wild-koalahttp://www.koalahospital.org.au/support/koala-hospital-volunteers


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We're a non-profit, non-commercial enterprise.

We have over 1100 subscribers; including many professionals in the wildlife field.Kathryn Keen created the wonderful Ozark Forum and many answers are to be found in their great forums.

To join simply write direct to the administrator [email protected] or fill in the Contact Form on the website, with detailsof your chosen username and password.

You username can just be your first name or it can be whatever you want. Make the password something relevant to you,which you can remember.

Once you supply your own username/password, it will be processed in due course.

We look forward to meeting youon the wonderful Ozark Forum.

www.ozarkwild.org
mailto:[email protected]://www.ozarkwild.org/http://www.ozarkwild.org/mailto:[email protected]


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The Little Falcon(Australian Hobby)

Holly was found coweringunder a bush, all fluffed up,by a local lady called Lisa

who is very wildlife conscious andalways on the lookout for creatures shecan help if they're in trouble. Sheparked her car to observe what it wasshe'd seen and, after a truck whizzedby, which blew the bird around in it'sdraught (?), Lisa could see the bird was

in difficulty with a limp and one winglooking a bit odd so she whipped offher jacket and caught it. After phoningme and arranging to bring the birddown to my place, she took a photoand sent it to me - I thought it may bea Kestrel, but on seeing the bird whenshe brought it then thought it may bea young male Peregrine.

I put the bird in a quiet dark placeto try and recover from the shock of

what had happened to it and waiteduntil John (my hubby) came home thatevening to examine the bird, weigh itand work out what needed to be donefor it.

On examination we found she didseem to have a problem with weightbearing on one leg but there was noHolly

Sue Holman

Holly the Hobby

http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/


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obvious break or trauma and alsonothing significant wrong with thewing(s) either.

Her attitude and generalbehaviour also suggested she may havesustained a slight concussion so wedecided cage rest and observationwould be our first course of treatment

and, should anything more develop, atrip to the vet would be arranged.We checked the general condition

of the bird, which was pretty good, not'keely' at all and weighed the bird.

At 243g, alarm bells went off inmy head as, if it was a Peregrine it wasseriously underweight !! So I emailedphoto's to our Raptor expert friendand he told me it was a female LittleFalcon (or Australian Hobby) which

are often mistaken for malePeregrines!!


Holly Holly

http://www.everythingwildlife.com.au

The online department store

All yourWildlifeNeeds

All your Wildlife Gifts

I didn't even realize we had LittleFalcons around here as the area shewas found in I have seen Peregrines.

She has now progressed nicelyfrom the hospital cage, to a secondaryrecovery cage and now is in an aviary -we will keep her in the aviary untilsuch times as she shows us she is fully

recovered and ready to go back out tothe wild.

VOTE

Did you love this story vote for yourfavourite story in Part B. The winnerwill receive a wonderful book called'Puggle in a Pocket' by Kevin Baker

D
http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.everythingwildlife.com.au/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.everythingwildlife.com.au/


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A Kanga A Day

Day 1314 July 2012All good things must come to an end eventually :-( e signicance of this shot is that it was Jake, Joey and Emily's last bole of formula

aer slowly weaning them over the preceding weeks.Photo by Bre Clifon

RECEIVE DAILY PICS AND STORIES LIKE THIS ONESign up to receive a free daily picture of Brett Cliftons beautiful Eastern Grey Kangaroos also known as Forester Kangaroos in Tasmania.

Email [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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PossumCLICK HERE to see more!

www.ozwildart.com

Elizabeth CogleyAustralian WildlifeArtist
http://www.ozwildart.com/http://www.ozwildart.com/


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About the Artist...Mel Hills is a locally grown artist who grew up in Orford and wentto school at Triabunna. She has persistently lurked about theEast Coast ever since.Mel specialises in wildlife art, scientific illustration andwatercolour landscapes. Murals are also a sideline.A need to explore, discover and understand led Mel to linkstudies in both art and science. She says For me there is noboundary between the two disciplines; both require observation,analysis and experimentation. Theyre very complementary.

The InspirationI love to share my joy in the landscape and the wonders thatsurround us. I get a bit caught up in the detail of piecessometimes, wanting to get it just right. I love the challenge oftrying to capture the essence of something and show that toothers.

Im just a kid who likes to say hey, look at how cool THIS is allthe time.

The CreationMels' favourite tools are her sketchbook, camera and hermicroscope. (Although the microscope is a little less portable.)Of her images she says, Each image comes togetherdifferently. Some are achieved on the spot, when I have a closeencounter with a creature that captures my attention. Mylandscapes are increasingly influenced by the plein-airsketching I love to do. Generally though, things are a littleslower. Often I have an idea for an image and it will take memonths or years to gather enough information to create thepainting.I do a lot of field sketching, where I gather information abouthabits and behaviours.I also take lots of photos and use museum specimens to ensure

details are correct. Once I have all the information, the finishedimage is roughed out and then built up in successive layers inorder to get the complexity, depth and detail required.

Whats next?In the future Id love to explore a total landscape more fully. Itwould be fun to do an Antarctic study, or study an island suchas Macquarie, or Maatsuyker in all weathers, with all theiroccupants. Exploring the Desert and the Kimberley are alsoideas that have been growing in my mind for some years. Thenthere are also those bugs I keep drawing, I might have to dosomething with them..

For more information about Mel, her product range or to justcheck out some images please visit her web site:www.melhillswildart.com.au
http://www.melhillswildart.com.au/http://www.melhillswildart.com.au/


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http://www.outdoorcameras.com.au/


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PART TWO

We had a Yellow bellied glider who

had been in care for a while. We were notable to release the Yellow bellied glider backto where she was found, however we knewof a colony of Yellow bellied gliders in theBouddi National Park.

Our intention was to release theYellow bellied glider using the nesting boxthat the Yellow bellied glider was using inthe rehabilitation enclosure, and relocatethe nesting box with the Yellow bellied

glider inside onto the tree where it was tobe released.However, to prepare for the release of

the animal into Bouddi National Park, Iwanted to be sure that the Yellow belliedglider would be able to get in and out ofthe box, without the use of the habitataccessories in the rehabilitation enclosure.

I set up a Reconyx HC500Hyperfire Semi-Covert IR Camera inthe enclosure to monitor how the Yellow

bellied glider got into and out of the box,and monitor its behaviour while on thebox.

It was apparent that the Yellow belliedglider utilised a eucalyptus branchextensively that was part of the enclosurewhen getting in and out of the box. SeePics 3 and 4Pic 1. Reconyx HC500 HyperFire Semi-Covert IR camera setup for Yellow-bellied glider observation. Photograph by Doug Beckers


Andrea Devos

Motion activated infrared cameras


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Pic 2. Reconyx HC500 HyperFire Semi-Covert IR camera setup for Yellow-bellied glider observation. Photograph by Doug Beckers


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So I modified the box by attaching aeucalyptus branch onto the front of the box.See Pic 5.

This proved excellent, as the Yellowbellied glider used the attached piece ofbranch to get in and out of the box when itwas released into the National Park, weknow this because I set up more cameras(the same type, Reconyx HC500HyperFire Semi-Covert IR camera)

around the nesting box of Yellow belliedglider in the National Park. See Pic 6.

So the infra-red camera provedinvaluable in improving the box design toensure the Yellow bellied glider has the bestchance of survival after release. The infra-red camera allowed the monitoring of thebehaviour of the Yellow bellied glider at

times that are really inconvenient towildlife carers. Doug Beckers NPWS

I have been using the UWay NT50black flash cameras for the last two yearswith great success. As part of a long termfox research project I have beenmonitoring fox dens using the camera'svideo function and have found the filmand sound quality to be very good.

During that time I have also used thecamera's photo function for small mammaldetection and monitoring. The images aresharp and the overall performance of thecameras has been very reliable. I have alsoused the Scoutguard with good results interms of camera reliability and pictureclarity.


Pic 3. Yellow bellied glider. Photograph by Doug Beckers Pic 4. Yellow bellied glider. Photograph by Doug Beckers

Pic 5. Modified box. Photograph by Doug Beckers


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Pic 6. Yellow-bellied glider nestbox on an ironbark and two wildlife cameras.


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However, I have found the UWayblack flash to be an advantage whencameras are placed close to dens. For smallmammal camera trapping the infraredindicator light on the Scoutguard did notseem to be a deterrent at all but the foxeshave consistently showed wariness, and inone instance, aggression towards camerasshowing an infrared indicator. See thequality of the UWAY in pics 7 and 8.

I would strongly endorse the supplier'srecommendation to use Duracell Ultrabatteries for best results. Most of thecameras set for video are out in the fieldfor 4 weeks at a time with 16GB SDcards. I have picked up cameras at the endof the 4 weeks with SD cards full and thebatteries still not exhausted. I have tried acouple of other high performance batteries

that were supposed to be comparable but Idefinitely noticed better and longerperformance from the Duracell Ultras.

I also recently started using the UWayVH200B and they have also producedgood results so far. The service fromOutdoor Cameras Australia has beenexcellent and they offer a discount for bulkorders.

Julie O'Connor. SeniorConservation Project Officer.Community ConservationPartnerships. EnvironmentalOperations. Sunshine Coast CouncilQLD.


Pic 7. Uway NT50 Black flash camera - Brushtail Possum in the front of an occupied Fox den. Photograph by Julie OConnor

The fox was in the den at the time butwith very young cubs about a week old

so maybe the possum was a bitlucky the fox was preoccupied.
http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.outdoorcameras.com.au/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/


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We use motion sensor cameras in thefield. We are using them primarily toestablish the numbers and health of oursouthern hairy-nosed wombats especiallysince they've been struggling with thedrought/starvation effects in addition tothis new disease the scientists are stillworking on. We have four of these camerasnow, but are planning to increase thatnumber as the information we aregleaning is invaluable.

They have also revealed whether thewombats or the kangaroos are eating thesupplemental feed (hay bale drops), whattimes of day/night they tend to feed, andthe presence of ferals in spite of ourrigorous baiting for foxes and rabbits.

I put up a powerpoint which discussesmany of the things we learned in the

initial trial - seewww.authorstream.com/

Presentation/peneglos-1466478-motion-sensor-camera-supplemental-

feeding-trial/.We continue to learn with every week

and download; they are an art and ascience!

We trialled a motion sensor camera, aScoutGard SG550, that had very kindlybeen loaned to us from ConservationVolunteers Australia (who manageBrookfield Conservation Park) as we hadno experience with them.

We ended up getting the slightly up-market model, the ScoutGard SG560VB(the 550s are no longer available) fromwww.scoutguard.com.au/index.html.


Pic 8. Uway NT50 Black flash camera - Dog running (thats why it is blurred) to the Foxs den. Photograph by Julie OConnor

The picture of the dog was taken a fewminutes before it was chasing the fox

(which I captured on video on theUWay).
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/peneglos-1466478-motion-sensor-camera-supplemental-feeding-trial/http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/peneglos-1466478-motion-sensor-camera-supplemental-feeding-trial/http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/peneglos-1466478-motion-sensor-camera-supplemental-feeding-trial/http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/peneglos-1466478-motion-sensor-camera-supplemental-feeding-trial/http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/peneglos-1466478-motion-sensor-camera-supplemental-feeding-trial/http://www.scoutguard.com.au/index.htmlhttp://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.scoutguard.com.au/index.htmlhttp://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/peneglos-1466478-motion-sensor-camera-supplemental-feeding-trial/


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I have attached three photographstaken recently (*Please note the camerareports the date as Month-Day-Year.) bythe same camera located along our SturtTrack, Moorunde Wildlife Reserve, SA:

Pic 9 shows a Southern hairy-nosedwombat in a daylight shot. It is sufferingfrom either a disease or the effects ofstarvation following our latest drought.

Pic 10 shows a night shot in the samelocation and probably the same wombat asin pic 9. You can see how thin it is andthat its rear end is apparently lackingmuch of its fur.

Pic 11 features a much less welcomevisitor to the warren a fox. It is possiblethe foxes are frequenting the warrensbecause they are successfully finding a meal

with a recently deceased wombat; a sadresult of the problems our wombats in theLower Murraylands are facing in SouthAustralia.

By Karen Collins - NaturalHistory Society of South Australia

Tarkine Trails and BonorongWildlife Sanctuary are joiningtogether in a research project to helpout the endangered Tasmanian devil.The research is on devil populations inthe Tarkine wilderness area - one ofthe few regions which remainunaffected by the Devil Facial Tumour


Pic 9. ScoutGard SG560VB. An ill southern hairy-nosed wombat in a daylight shot.Photo from Karen Collins

Pic 10. ScoutGard SG560VB. A night shot of possibly the same ill southern hairy-nosedwombat from Pic 9. You can see how thin it is and that its rear end is apparently lacking

much of its fur. Photo from Karen Collins

Pic 11. ScoutGard SG560VB Features a much less welcome visitor to the warren: a fox.Photo from Karen Collins


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Pic 12. Reconyx Camera. Tasmanian Devil taken at night.Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Pic 13. Reconyx Camera. Tasmanian Devil in the day.Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Pic 15. Reconyx Camera. Not only Devils were found at the Tarkine Wilderness. EasternQuoll taken at night. Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Pic 14. Reconyx HC500 Camera. Tasmanian Devil in the day.Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary


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Pic 16. The elusive Spotted Tail Quoll at night.Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Pic 17. A Wedgetailed eagle at night.Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Pic 19. An echidna at night.Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Pic 18. A healthy young Tasmanian Devil.Photo courtesy of Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary


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Disease here in Tasmania.The Tarkine Devil Project

currently has 20 Reconyx camerasdistributed within the Tarkinerainforest and 20 along the Tarkinecoast. Nearly all the cameras arecapturing images of Tasmanian devils,and many have also photographedother Tasmanian carnivores such asthe spotted-tailed quoll and theintroduced feral cat. The informationbeing recorded by these cameras isinvaluable, not only for monitoringthe spread of the Devil Facial TumourDisease, but for gauging theabundance and distribution of variousspecies. Given the remoteness of theTarkine, cameras are enablingscientists to obtain information from

an area that has been a blank spot inour understanding.

Greg Irons, director of BonorongWildlife Sanctuary said, Without thecameras that one of our sponsors OutdoorCameras have provided for the project wewould have had much less scientific clout.

Greg Irons, Bonorong WildlifeSanctuary. Tasmania

We have been treating wombats andareas for some years now. We physically goout and search for wombats with any signsof mange, GPS burrows and treat largeareas. We try to cover about 1000 acres.We find there are always "hotspots" alongcreeks and wet areas where we targettreatment heavily with "pole method" and

"flap method" together with infra redcamera at weekly intervals. We use the 5megapixel digital surveillance camera,ScoutGuard Cam SG550 from SouthernCross Distributors, Chipping Norton,Sydney.

I don't think this model existsanymore but there are many good camerasand the prices has come down.

We find if you treat an area for sometime it actually stays mange free for a longtime.

Also if there is one wombat withmange in an area, there is always morewombats with mange (you might not seethem, but they are there and will keepspreading the mange mites, therefore youneed to keep at it).

We have successfully treated many

wombats back to full recovery and beenable to eliminate mange in areas.

Pic 20: Good to see what else isaround - the fox.

Pic 21: No problem for them to usethe burrows when flap is in use.

Pic 22: Same burrow two yearsearlier, 2008.

Pic 23 and 24: These two photos weretaken in April 2010 showing mange, Pic25: This is of the same wombat taken inAugust 2010 with mange and clearlyshows the improvement after usingCydectin at weekly interval. The wombatwent on to make a full recovery.MarieWynan

We use one to watch our soft release


Pic 20. Good to see what else is around - the fox. Photo by Marie Wynan

Pic 21. No problem for them to use the burrows when flap is in use.Photo by Marie Wynan


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Pic 22. Same burrow two years earlier, 2008. Photo by Marie Wynan

Pic 24. The first two photos were taken in April 2010 showing mange.Photo by Marie Wynan

Pic 25. This is of the same wombat taken in August 2010 with mange and clearly showsthe improvement after using Cydectin at weekly interval. The wombat went on to make afull recovery. Photo by Marie Wynan

Pic 23. The first two photos were taken in April 2010 showing mange.Photo by Marie Wynan


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enclosure. We set this camera up at ourfront entry to test it out and see if we gotany intruders when we went to Tasmaniafor a week and it took around 500 picsduring that period with no problems! (seepic26).

We set up the camera to watch oursoft release enclosures, you can see ourwombats using the swinging gate to theirenclosure both day and night during their

soft release (see pics 27, 28 and 29). Wehad another visitor too (see pic 30).Sandi Kogtevs - Strathewen

Wildlife Shelter.

Last Christmas I bought two LtlAcorn cameras from www.wildguard.com.au ( I confess that I also saw it

advertised on Facebook - first time I'veever clicked on one of their ads.)

The cameras have worked quite well,are inexpensive and have a high resolutionand memory.

I have them set to take a photo whentriggered followed by a 15 second video, nomore than 15 minutes apart, 24 hours aday.

These pics 31,32 were taken outside

the Kangaroo Soft Release Enclosures.I also set up a camera at the back ofmy dam to see what was around. Theseare the pics 33, 34 and 35.Cheers BrettClifton. - A Kanga A Day

Pic 26. Used the camera at our front entry to check for intruders.Photo by Sandi Kogtevs

Pic 28. Wombat at the soft release enclosure. Photo by Sandi Kogtevs

Pic 27. Night pic at the soft release enclosure. Photo by Sandi Kogtevs
http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wildguard.com.au/http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://www.wildguard.com.au/


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Pic 29. Wombat using the swinging gate at the soft release enclosure.Photo by Sandi Kogtevs

Pic 30. A Brushtail Possum visiting. Photo by Sandi Kogtevs


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Pic 31. Early morning photo of kangaroos outside the kangaroo soft release enclosure. Photo by Brett Clifton


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Pic 32. Night time photo of kangaroos outside the kangaroo soft release enclosure. Photo by Brett Clifton


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Pic 33. A wombat passing by outside our kangaroo soft release enclosure. Photo by Brett Clifton


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Pic 34. A most unwelcome visitor the fox. Photo by Brett Clifton


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Pic 35. The fox. Less welcome visitor. Photo by Brett Clifton


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My subject for this article happened by accident, it chose me, when amoment became a rare and wonderful nd. When looking out my kitchen

window, my home l ocated in the bush, I caught in my peripheral vision,movement and there they were, siing on a branch all four birds, the family.Camouaged so uncannily well, looking like tree branches. Two were quiteyoung, smaller in size and siing between mum and dad. I ran to grab the

camera rstly, in case they ew away, (as at that stage I had no idea aboutthem, being the rst sighting). I took lots of photos, videos and aer I knewthey were staying put, produced some sketches, and spent time studying their

habits, movements, the form of their feathers, faces, eyes and claws. reeartworks were created using different mediums to explore how to best bring

out the beauty of these amazing birds. Oil is a medium very suited to thissubject as it has sculptural qualities, being able to sculpt feathers, create formand build colour in layers. My favourite medium for the subject was Graphite

Pencil, so I could produce drawings with accurate detail.Amazingly, they stayed on the one branch for hours and the young kept

gaping at me through the window with their huge orange eyes, wondering

what was I doing? What was I? My own two human eyes looking at them,along with the camera eye, capturing their every movement. Satised I hadenough information, I waited, going about my day and when dusk

approached, they sadly le to get busy with their hunting for food. It was anexperience, a gi for me as it is a moment that will not come again soon, and

I am thankful.

Jacqui CleijneBiographyJacqui Cleijne was born in Hobart Tasmania,Australia.Aer leaving school studies in 1984, Jacquiwas employed as an ArchitecturalDrasperson, where she gained herqualications in Architectural Design &Draing.

Returning to Tasmania in 1998 to be withher family, she continued her work as adrasperson and decided to pursue her

passion for Art. Painting was a hobby to startwith, although her work becoming more

popular, with commissions to keep busy, shedecided to put down the draing tools and get

to work.Jacqui aended a short course in Art, Cra

and Design at her local TAFE college, andstudied printmaking. Today painting is her

preferred medium, enjoying the challenges ofrealism.

Being self-taught, her experience has beengained through sketching regularly on

location and reading about techniques used

by many great artists. Her own style isunique, and she paints her subjects withpassion and enthusiasm.

Her favourite subjects are Wildlife & Natureand the challenges that come with it.

Jacquis wildlife work in particular hascreated a lot of interest with galleries, locals

and overseas clients.

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Ringtail Possums in care. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan

Common Ringtail PossumPseudocheirus peregrinus

The scientific name of thisdelightful little creature is a bit of amouthful and is pronounced syue-doh-kie-rus pe-re-green-us andmeans false-hand from foreign parts.(Meaning the Tail)

The Ringtail Possum is very agileand likes to hang out in trees or otherhigh places. They are arboreal (tree-dwelling) marsupials, and use their

long white tipped prehensile tail forgripping branches when climbing.They can also use their tail forcarrying nesting materials. They havea soft, high pitched twittering call.

Ringtails are the second mostnumerous possum to enter care -mainly through the involvement of thelocal moggy.

The ringtail possum is a mediumsized possum weighing from 600-950g

and adult males are larger than adultfemales. This possum is easilyidentified by its sparsely furred tailwhich is white for the last 1/3 to thetip, sometimes it can be a dirty off -white colour. Their prehensile tail isvery important because it is used as a

fifth hand whilst climbing and carriesnesting material.

The ears are short and roundedwith a whitish tuft of fur on the lowerpart of the ear and a cream, pale oreven white fur patch on the cheekarea. The fur is short and thick andColour varies from light grey to rufusbrown to almost black. Limbs, evenon darker possums, usually have arufus tinge. Lower body ranges fromwhite to amber, sometimes even abright rufus brown.

I suppose you could say they havea rat like face due to their longwhiskers, some people often mistakethem for rodents!

Ringtails are generally shyer,quieter and smaller, than their biggercousins.

Common Ringtails, like theBrushtails, have learnt to live indomestic situations like cities and thesurrounding suburbs.

Found from Cape York throughthe eastern seaboard down toTasmania and across to SouthAustralia.

Ringtails occupy a variety ofhabitats from rainforest to sclerophylforests as long as this contains a well

Andrea Devos

Common Ringtail PossumRescue, Rehabilitation and Release


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developed under-story. They build asphere-shaped nest called a drey madeout of shredded fibrous bark, leaves,twigs and bracken interwoven intoleaves of Turpentine, Eucalypt trees,privet hedges and Banksias, some havebuilt nests inside roller doors andamongst urban gardens. They alsobuild nests inside hollow branches of

trees, like all possums they retain morethan one home.

This possum is more fastidiousthan the Brushtail and its digestivesystem is much more complex. Theirdigestive tract has a greatly enlargedand complex caecum which along withgood bacteria, help assist in thebreaking down (fermentation) of food.

The Ringtail can survive on a

fibrous diet because it can retain mostof the nutrition from eucalyptusleaves. The Ringtail also recycles someof its pellets (coprophagy), these aredifferent to the hard dry pelletsproduced at night.

These special soft pellets areproduced during the daytime, eaten bythe ringtail while curled up in a ball,when absorbed thought the digestivesystem a second time it produces more

nutrients.Do not give antibiotics by mouth

as it will upset and unbalance their gutflora - if antibiotics are specified by avet make sure that only injectableantibiotics are administered.

Their native diet consists mainly


Face of a Ringtail Possum sometimes mistaken for a rat. Photograph by Steve Amesbury


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This is a ringtail possum drey. Photograph by Jenny Thyne A ringtail possum chose to make its drey in a palm tree. Photographed by Jenny Thyne


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During a heatwave this wild ringtail possum poked out its head. Photograph by Jenny Thyne


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Ringtail Possum enjoying a ripe Lilly Pilly. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan


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Ringtail Possum enjoying a ripe Lilly Pilly. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan

f E l t l fl ti f th f f d h l th i th


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of Eucalypt leaves, flowers, nativefruit, tea tree, callistemon, wattles andGrevilleas. They also have a fondnessfor roses, non native fruit and plantsand have been known to ring barklemon trees.

Ringtails are territorial and mostlysolitary, but male and females havebeen known to regularly visit each

other. Males will defend their territoryfrom other males and the size ofterritory depends on the availability offood and shelter.

The female shares her nest withher young and also carries themaround once they leave the pouchstage at around 4 months. When theyare too heavy or she has to travel

further for food, she leaves them in thenest.

Communication is by smell andsound, their high pitched twitteringcall could easily be mistaken for a birdcall.

When in care they have beenknown to lunge at their keepers,especially females with young. Care

must be taken when introducingRingtails as they can be quite nasty toeach other, but they do much better ifthey have company. Females can bejust as aggressive as males.

Sexual maturity can be reachedaround 12 months for males andearlier for females in a captiveenvironment. Birthing season extends


A human-made drey is a perfect place for a ringtail to recuperate.Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan

A Ringtail Joey snug in a pouch. Photograph by Barbara BrindleyA Ringtail Joey snug in a pouch. Photograph by Barbara Brindley

fr m Mar h t N ember hen a deli ate reat re hen ng and r animal i deh drated) an t the Mammar Gland a p ible


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from March to November when alitter of 1, 2 or 3 young are born. Thegestation period is not known eventhough they have been bred incaptivity.

The young are underdevelopedwhen born. They make their way tothe mothers pouch, and hold onto ateat. Ringtails have four teats, and are

capable of raising quadruplets, but theaverage litter size is two.

Joeys emerge from the motherspouch at around 3 to 4 months old,and then back ride on the mother, stilldrinking her milk as well as eatingsolids. They are weaned by the timethey are 6 9 months old.

A furless brushtail joey has abetter chance of survival than a furless

ringtail joey. At around 40g, a ringtailmay have its eyes open. Ringtailpinkies (you could call them blackies asthey are black not pink) do not haveas great a survival rate as the Brushtails they are much more delicatecreatures. Some carers have raisedthem from very small sizes, but it takesmuch dedication to do so.

A mother-reared wild ringtail out-of-pouch are left in the nest stage if

mother has to travel for food. Males(presumed father) have been known toassist in caring for the young once theyleave the pouch permanently,grooming and baby sitting them whilethe mothers are off foraging.

Ringtail possums in particular are

delicate creatures when young, andstress can cause their death quitequickly. They must not be handled bysmall children or given to other adultsto hold as you would a kitten.Ringtail joeys do much better in pairs,or even small groups, called colonies,rather than a single possum on theirown. They are by nature a colony

animal, and having a partner or twocan often make the difference betweenlife and death.

When an animal comes into carewhether it is a baby or an adult, it maywell be cold and it will be in shock.Do not attempt to feed a possum inthis condition. Warm it gently, eitherwith your own body heat or a hotwater bottle. An adult needs three

things in this circumstance heat, darkand quiet. A human-made drey isperfect for an adult ringtail possum torest in put one side of the dreyagainst a heat source (warm only)allowing for the animal to be able tomove away from the heat.

All babies that come into careneed to be put into a firm (not tight)pouch (cotton or flannelette is best) Aclean cotton sock can come in handy

for a makeshift pouch.If you have a a baby and it is warm

and more responsive, you canrehydrate it as most babies willdehydrated. (You can tell by its skin, ifits skin when lightly squeezed does notgo down back to its original place then

your animal is dehydrated), you canuse spark or lactade to rehydrate.

Many people use natural remediesas well as western medicines. Thereare several things that can be offeredto counteract shock Rescue remedy a couple of drops

of Rescue Remedy available fromHealth Food Shops in the mouth

will help calm the animal. Arnica a couple of drops in the

mouth (6 cc every 3-4 hours)When a ringtail roadkill is found,the pouch should be checked. Ifonly one ringtail joey is found search - because there is almostalways a second ringtail joey, if nota third.When you find a mother who has

joeys you may need to cut the joeysfrom her pouch as when the ringtailmother dies the pouch elasticity is nolonger there and the longer the deaththe tighter the pouch openingbecomes.

If the baby is still attached to theteat, DO NOT PULL IT OFF. If youdo, you will cause damage to the joeyspalate, and the baby will eventuallydie.

Ensure first that the mother isdead, then place a safety pin or paperclip THROUGH the skin of the teatabove the babys mouth. (Rememberthe mother is dead and will not feelthis) Cut the teat from the mother,making sure you cut the teat as close

to the Mammary Gland as possible.The baby will eventually (in around 2-3 hours) spit out the teat itself. Pleasedont be put off by this. There is noblood or mess, and the skin of the teatis very thin, smaller than a straw.

When in the pouch, the motherstimulates the joey to encourage themto toilet by licking their genital area,

which encourages them to defecate orurinate.

This keeps the pouch clean. Thisis a job that you will now have to do.Hold the baby firmly in one hand, andusing a tissue, tickle the area aroundthe cloacae, and baby will do the rightthing for you!

A joey needs to be stimulated inthis way EVERY feed.

Be gentle. Over stimulation cancause damage. A baby first into caremay not wee much, as it may bedehydrated. As the joey grows older, itwill go to the toilet by itself. Do notbe overly concerned if your baby doesnot defecate.

Ringtails have a day time faecesand a night time faeces. Baby ringtailsoften pap, which means they re-ingest the daytime faeces as this helps

to produce the bacteria in their gutsthat they need. They do not produceas much in the way of skats as joeys ofother possums do until they are moreindependent in a cage. When it startsto toilet on its own, your job in thatarea is done!



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Using a scissors (blunt end type is safest) put your fingers between the joey(s) and the pouch lining and cut (remember that the mother cannot feel anything as she is dead).Photograph by Andrea Devos


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Spread the pouch open so you can examine the joeys. Photograph by Andrea Devos


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Carefully manoeuvre the joey from the pouch, careful not to pull on their legs, tail, heads etc. In this case the joeys have been in their mother for a long time and had already spat out theteats. Photograph by Andrea Devos


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Turn the the cotton pouch inside out and rub inside the mothers pouch to get the scent of her on it. This will help the joeys be less stressed when you place them against the smell of theirmothers pouch scent. Photograph by Andrea Devos


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Buddying is essential for the welfare of your ringtail possum.Photograph by Cherie Reid

These buddied ringtails are enjoying a special treat of rose petals.Photograph by Cherie Reid

Buddying Ringtails should be done from an early age. Photograph by Robyn Gates

Buddying is important for ringtails. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan


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Sometimes when buddying one maybe younger than the other, in this circumstance soft release only when the youngest one reaches the 550g mark. Photograph by Robyn Gates

Equipment Equipment list your bits and pieces together) must not be placed on the floor).


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Equipment

It takes time and money to gettogether a good equipment kit.

Garage sales and Op shops aregood places to look for second handcages, towels sheep-skin, beanies andsheets.

Plastic pet baskets may be OK touse to rescue an animal but not tohouse them as they are too small -adult Ringtail or Brushtails cannotstretch their body or stand up in them.

The most expensive item will be agood set of scales; these should be ableto measure weights up to 5kg in 1gincrements.

A thermometer should always beused to measure temperature - never

rely on touch and feel.The list below represents a typical

Possum Carer equipment kit.


q p Pet carrier (sturdy wire) with cover Large plastic carrier Scales (1g graduation up to 5kg) Heat pad (electric with thermostat) Thermometer ("Vacola" glass or

digital with probe) Wombaroo milk charts Greater than >0.8 possum milk

Protein powder Plastic eye droppers Beanies, liners, pillow slips Towels (lots) , sheep skin Hot water bottle with thick cover Assorted feed dishes Plastic (recyclable container) to be

used to keep leaves in like a plasticdrink bottle.

Plastic ties

First-aid kit A large plastic tackle box (to keep

y p g ) Lectade (rehydration fluid) Otoderm (promotes new skin

tissue) Betadine Cotton balls & buds, gauze Tape measure Nit comb Scissors, tweezers

Disposable gloves Hand wash (antiseptic) Saline (washing wounds, eyes) Silverzine (burn cream) once

opened keep in fridge

Housing

In & out door possum boxes Large indoor cage with large door

opening (covered with shade cloth) Table or stand to put cage on (cage

p ) Aviary Assorted unbreakable feeding

dishes Recyclable plastic containers (drink

bottles) for foliage Secateurs, extendable secateurs

Get to know the native plants in your area

The books shown above are an excellent reference for plant identification.

Get into the habit of weighing food.

Recycled plastic products make goodcontainers.

Feeding possums For larger possums fruit and mixes won't pick up the fruit but will try and secateurs. Do not take vegetation from


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Feeding possumssome things to remember!

FEEDING DISHESFeeding dishes need to suit the

size of the possum. E.g. Feathertail &Pygmy possums need very tiny vesselssuch as a lid off a drink bottle or small

glass feeding tubes as used for nectareating birds - their long tongue fitsnicely into the tube and they cannotget covered in Honeyeater & Lorikeetmix.

Use Blu-tack, a re-usable adhesiveto secure the food containers in placeotherwise the possum can knock itover. Never place liquid food intolarge dishes as these tiny possums candrown or get their fur glued together.

Honeyeater & Lorikeet, SmallCarnivore, Insectivore and Proteinpowder should be made up as directedon the package and must be made upfreshly for each feed. Always make sure feeding dishes

are secure in aviaries. Place dishes in such a way that

possums cannot urinate or defecateinto them.

Dishes must be taken out in themorning and cleaned. Honeyeater & Lorikeet mix can go

off in hot weather and is very sticky. To stop ants from invading the food

dishes, sprinkle non-perfumed talcpowder onto the shelf were feedingdishes sit.

g pcan be placed into a bowl andplaced onto a dish of water.

All leftovers must be removed inthe morning

Pick up any fruit from the groundas it will encourage ants, rats andmice.

MIXING MILK IS AN ART!

Wombaroo's Greater than (>. 8)possum milk can be made up daily forfeeds. You will need a container (e.g. aplastic or glass measuring cup used forcooking which can be purchased froma super market, cheap)! Place 25g of>.8 possum milk powder into thecontainer, and then slowly add the pre-boiled warm water (stirring to dissolveany lumps - like a paste) until it

reaches 100mL.Note! Do not add 100mL ofwater!

The formula is - 25g of >.8possum milk powder made up to100mL of pre-boiled warm water.FRUIT

When using fruit as part of a dietit should be noted that it is only usedbecause it's convenient for the carerand it's palatable for the animal. Fruit

is made up of carbohydrates, fibre,some minerals and vitamins. Proteinmix needs to be added as asupplement. The fruit should be cut tosize to suit the animal - if the piecesare too big the possum will take a biteand drop the rest. If it's too small it

p p ylick it up and the fruit will spill ontothe aviary floor. Possums need thefruit pieces to be a comfortable size forthem to hold onto.

Do not feed exotic fruits, keep itsimple. The bulk should be apple plusa variety of other simple fruits that arein season and not too costly! No

mangoes, they are for the carer!Besides fruit juices will only make thepossums hands sticky and yucky!

Do not feed kale family such ascauliflower, broccoli, cabbage orbrussels sprouts.

Do not feed herbs like parsley orcertain weeds, they will eat them but,some introduced plants can causeconvulsions and death. A few pine nuts

can also be offered.NATIVE PLANTSGood old Eucalyptus leaves!

Possums will eat mature leaves butmostly like succulent green tips. Try topick in the morning before the heat ofthe day and a couple of species ifpossible.

Other natives like black wattle, teatree, bottle brushes, grevillia, alongwith eucalypt, angophora and

turpentine flowers and buds. Theseeds from wattles and casurinas arealso eaten. Ripe lilly pilly and breyniafruits are also appreciated.

Place the foliage into a bucket ofwater with some sugar to help theplant rejuvenate after being cut with

gnational parks, these places areprotected for a reason - to protect theflora and fauna from humaninterference.

Possums will eat spiders and bugsassociated with trees and plants.Huntsman spiders which live underbark can be caught and frozen.

Mealworms can be used forstimulation and placed into leaf litteror in an escape free container,sprinkled with insectivore.

Moths and beetles can also becaught and released into aviaries to getinsect eating possums to hunt andcatch their own prey and to alsoexercise.

Foliage can hold lots of small

insects and should be placed into theaviary so possums can seek out theinsects.

Do not feed bright colouredinsects!PERCHES AND DENTALHEALTH

Fresh native branches with thebark left on not only make goodperches but are also good for possumsto chew into, especially the sap and

insect eating species. I also use verticalas well as horizontal perches.VASES

Water containers used for holdingfoliage should not be too deep aspossum may climb into them anddrown.


F d l i f d f h i b t!


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Food glorious food fresh is best!

Handling possum whilst holding the possum in a front yard at 10:30pm and cannot morning make an appointment to see


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HandlingPossums

This is the scary bit. Once youhave assessed the situation, you have toactually catch the possum!

I find the easiest and least stressfulmethod (for both parties) is to throw alarge beach towel over the possum.

This keeps the possum confusedand disorientated and allows you to bein control. In other situations where itis not possible to use a towel (forexample the possum may be higherthan you) I use a hoop bag.

Once you have the possumsecured inside a pet carrier and yourknees stop shaking, you can eithercontact an experience carer or the

Animal Officer to give you furtherassistance.A pillowslip used like a glove is

great for grasping Ringtails and Sugargliders and saves your hand from beingscratched or bitten.

When you have arrived home orat the vets you will need to check thepossum for injuries and so on. I canguarantee you, the possum will notalways be hiding under the towel!

Sometimes the possum is sittingon top of the towel ready to bolt assoon as you lift the lid off the petcarrier. If this is the case you will needto slide a towel under the lid veryslowly covering the top of the petcarrier and then drop it onto the

p g pdown so it won't bolt. When thepossum is wrapped securely, you canproceed to open the towel to the areayou need to check. Always keep thehead covered and be mindful of theirteeth and claws.

I often bag my possums in a verylarge dark cotton bag - I can feel

where the head is and can control thebitey bits through the bag. Just try andremember the possum is veryfrightened and doesn't understand youare trying to help it. It sees you as apredator and will try to protect itself!

We all had to start somewhere andI can recall being sent on my firstrescue - a very large obnoxious malebrushtail - and how scared I was as it

screamed when I was trying to get itinto the pet carrier.I didn't hold it tight enough and

consequently he bolted with me inpursuit. The poor animal had beensavaged by a dog so I can understandhow terrified it felt. Fortunately I didmanaged to recapture him ... well letssay we grabbed each other! I am muchmore careful these days.

Do not be afraid to take animals to

another member for support andguidance.A RESCUE SCENARIO YOUMAY ENCOUNTERRoad victim or fall

An adult male Brushtail possum isfound lying on the side of the road or

y pmove. The feet are clenched and coldto touch; the eyes are open and havethat glazed look.

Throw a large towel over thepossum, tucking the towel under thebody, on all sides. Then gently butfirmly support the wrapped body withyour hands, and place the possum into

a padded (towel) pet carrier.Small plastic carriers are not big

enough for large possums to stretchout their body which may have spineor nerve injury. A large cardboard boxcan also be used to transport theanimal home if the veterinary surgeryis closed.

Once you get it home, listen to itsbreathing and check for signs of blood

in the ear, mouth and nose. Look atthe colour of the mucus membrane.Feel along the back bone for a break.The possum is in deep shock and maybe bleeding internally.

Place the pet carrier onto a heatpad set at 28 degC, in a quiet dimly litroom. Check in an hour to see if it'swarm and note if it has moved itsbody. Take care not to over heat thepossum.

Do not try to give fluid or food toan unconscious animal. If there is nochange, go to bed and check in themorning, But, if the possum hasmoved make sure it is securelycontained and check in another hour.

If the possum is still alive in the

g ppthe vet.

If it is sitting up, it is probablyvery sore, check that the possum's eyesare open and if the pupils areresponding with a small torch. Checkto see if the colour of the feet and nose(pink) have returned and its breathingis OK (ie it is breathing normally)

Offer a drink of Lectaid with aplastic medicine dropper. Do not useglass as it can break if the possumclamps hard on it. If the possum seemsto be getting better you can offer somefruit. Observe over the next 24 hours.It takes a few days for bruising to comeout and it could be a bit wobbly. If heis curled up like a possum and is eatingand drinking place a possum box inside

the cage, he will feel more secure. If heis progressing well then release himafter a week or two, just to make surethere are no internal injuries.


Feral Common Indian Mynas are aserious problem for biodiversity

conservation in many countries otherthan Australia.

In the year 2000, Common Indian Mynaswere listed by the World ConservationUnion (IUCN) as one of the Worlds 100

Worst Invasive Species.

For more informationhttp://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/

myna/index.html

If your ringtail appears jittery and experiment until you find what your
http://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/myna/index.htmlhttp://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/myna/index.htmlhttp://www.wildliferescuemagazine.com/http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/myna/index.html


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nervous, although happy to be withyou, you may find it needs a partner.Make sure that you let the registerheads know the weight of your baby,so they can keep an ear out for apartner for your baby.

Offer native foliage and flowersfrom the time your baby is around 80

grams, as well as milk. As the babygrows older, drop milk from the mid-evening feed, offering a wide variety offoliage and flowers instead. Ringtailsmuch prefer native foliage to humanfood of any kind. They particularlylike Cadagi a type of eucalyptustree.

Be careful of where you collectyour foliage if you roadside collect,there is a chance of lead poisoningoccurring from traffic pollution - washyour foliage before giving it to thejoey. Stand the branches in water (Iuse an old drink bottle tied to the sideof the cage) to keep them fresh.Replace each day or every second day,depending upon how fresh they are.

DO NOT neglect native foods foraging for native branches is part ofyour commitment to being a carer.

INTRODUCING SOLIDSNative foliage should be offered.

Look for flowering natives, as theyintrigue the little ones to start with.Native foods are always best.

All possums, like people, haveindividual tastes, and you will have to

joey will eat. Sometimes they refuse afood when they are little, then love itwhen they are older!

Most native plants/foliage issuitable to offer but try some of these:Eucalyptus torelliana (Cadaghi)E. ptychocarpa (Swamp Blood wood)E.curtisii(Plunkett Mallee)

E. tereticornis(Forest Red Gum)E.camadulensis(River Red Gum)Grevillea (leaves and flowers)Calliandra (Pom Pom) (leaves andflowers)Rose (leaves)Lilly Pilly (leaves, fruit and flowers)Mango (leaves, fruit and flowers)Plumbago (flowers)Crepe Myrtle (flowers)

Bottlebrush(leaves and flowers)

Mulberry (leaves, fruit and flowers)DO NOT OFFER Azalea,

Oleander, Pepper Tree andAllemande. These are poisonous topossums.FEEDING

As a general rule, ringtail joeysfirst into care need careful handling many are lost on their first night in. Ifthe joey is less than 60g, then extra

care must be taken. Place the baby ina pouch, and gently warm to anambient temperature of 28 to 32 C.

Ringtail Possums will need to befed a special milk formula (never feedany marsupial cow's milk)

There are three brands of formula


Ringtails can do acrobats while foraging for food and it is a good idea to put the food inhard to reach areas to teach your ringtails. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan


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Training your ringtails to stretch for hard to reach blossoms will hold them in good steadin the wild. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan

A Ringtail possum enjoying a lilly pilly. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan A Ringtail possum. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan

A Ringtail possum enjoying a lilly pilly. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan


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A Ringtail Possum. Photograph by Debbie Radde

Who needs a toothpick when you have nails like these.Photograph by Cherie Reid

Some ringtails have a ratlike appearance. Photograph by Sonya Stanvic


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Me Upside down. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan Yum Yum. A ringtail enjoying her food. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan


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Feeding time can be a social occasion. Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan

Bottlebrush, Grevilleas all are welcome when you are a ringtail.Photograph by Elizabeth Nathan

in Australia Biolac, Di-Vetelact andWombaroo.

All brands do a similar thing(provide a low lactose formula foryour joey), which one you choose touse is your preference. 20g(approx. 42 days old). A

ringtail joey is not viable at this ageas their little lungs have not fullyformed.

45-60g(approx. 95-110 days old,

eyes are opening, fur is starting toappear). The survival rate of un-furred ringtails is poor. Joeys ofthis size will need three hourlyfeeding, all through the night.They will only take around 1 ml ofmilk per 24 hours, break that up

into 6 feeds, which does not seemmuch, but remember how smalltheir tummy is!

60-80g(approx. 115 days old). Atthis stage the baby still must bekept warmed, but not alwaysconfined, as they would beexploring the inside of their dreywhile mum is close by. Still pouchbound. They should be on around5 milk feeds a day. Offer native

foliage, remembering that ringtailsprefer foliage to any other varietyof food. 60g around 2 mls perfeed

80-100g(approx. 125 days old). Ifyour joey is new into care, stilloffer heat this reduces the effects


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The 0.8 Possum Milk Replacer is forjoeys greater than 80% of their pouch lifecompleted: ie older joeys emerging from

pouch; short soft to dense long fur, eyesopen; ears erect.

Feeding a small ringtail possum joeyusing a syringe and teat. Photograph byKirralee Marriage

Aren't I just too gorgeous! A sweetRingtail joey Possum. Photograph bySonya Stanvic

Syringe feeding a Ringtail Possum. Photograph by Sonya Stanvic

Bottle Feeding a Ringtail Possum. Photograph by Barbara Brindley


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Lapping from a spoon makes feeding times so much easier for the surrogate mum. Photograph by Robyn Gates

of shock. Joeys at this age needt i ti t th

will be appreciated by your joey,k it i l i l ft


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more room to investigate, theywould be riding the back of theirmother at this stage and tasting thedifferent leaves, however they arestill drinking from mum. ACockatoo cage that has been safelywired with small bird wire is a goodplace to hang the pouch. This way

they can come and go as theyplease.80g -3 ml per feed100g cut down the amount offeeds to three feeds a day around5 ml per feed.Native foliage is a MUST.

100-150g(approx. 170 days old).New babies into care may still needheat for the first 24 48 hours.After that, check body warmth, butthe baby should be generating itsown heat.100g 3 feeds 5 ml per feed joey should be lapping150g 15-25 ml with one feed joey should be lapping.

150-200g(approx. 180 days oldand mother would be weaning herand carrying her less on her back).By this stage the baby should be

lapping milk, and one feed of milkcan be left out for night time. Ajoey first into care may needheating, but once settled, should beself regulating. Good age to buddyup if single.Native foliage for a ringtail th

Issue 5.Part B

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