Bonorong kangaroos soaking up the sun!

This is one rather content resident Forester Kangaroo soaking up the sun on a beautiful Autumn's afternoon here at the Sanctuary.

Bonorong is open for normal business hours right throughout the Easter period so if you are looking for something to do then pop out and say g'day! Our daily guided tour times are at 11:30am and 2pm everday.

There will be a lot of people travelling across the state over the Easter holidays so please drive carefully, especially in more rural areas between dusk and dawn. If you do happen to find injured or orphaned wildlife over the busy Easter period then remember we are still here to call 24 hours a day so please save our number in your phone - 0447 264 625

Living with Possums

Fidget

Look at this cheeky little face! Yes it is the face of one very cute Brushtail Possum (an albino one at that) and we are sure that most of you are familiar with this species.

Often called 'Brushies' they are certainly very common in Tasmania and are frequent visitors to suburban areas as they are highly adaptable to a wide range of environments.

At different times of the year (quite often seasonal) we get many calls from annoyed members of the public that have got a possum living in their roof space or a possum getting in to their garden and they want the possum removed.

Possums are a protected species in Tasmania so cannot be harmed. They also cannot be relocated more then a short distance from where they have been found due to the territorial nature of other possums.

There are often easy solutions to possum proof your home and garden which means a happy result for both parties (the people and the possums!).

If you are having possum problems have a look at these great links which may give you some answers:

https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/living-with-wildlife/living-with-brush-tailed-possums

or
https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/living-with-wildlife

Fidget our resident Brushtail Possum (pictured) is a good ambassador for his species as he certainly knows how to charm guests with his cheeky personality!

When people learn about possums they do become rather fond of them and we certainly try to encourage people to find ways to live in harmony with all wildlife, including possums like Fidget! You can meet Fidget in person on our guided Night Tours or Feeding Frenzy Tours.

Three-legged echidna Randall out and about

Last week brought some exciting news for one of the Sanctuary's residents! Some of you may remember Randall the Echidna? Well Randall has been in rehab for almost a year after he was attacked by a dog. The attack left Randall in need of an emergency operation to amputate his severely bitten right front leg.

Despite all odds Randall made an amazing recovery and his stump has healed well. The last few months have been a process of Randall strengthening his stump so that he can still walk around on it with out risk of it getting any abrasions.

He has made amazing progress and last week the team at Bonorong felt comfortable to trial him in one of our large enclosures within the Sanctuary grounds.

This was well received by Randall and he has spent the past week exploring his new home and enjoying every minute of it!!

Randall will be a permanent resident here at Bonorong due to his missing front leg which will inhibit his ability to dig in the wild properly.

Come and meet Randall and listen to his story. The message he will help to spread will be one of responsible pet ownership and in Randall's case a focus on dogs.

Here's Randall as a youngster.

Rescued seabirds cooling off and growing up

Although today was a little cooler, Hobart has certainly had a pretty decent run of hot days over the past fortnight! We are sure many of you local Hobartians have had a visit or two to the beach? Well here at Bonorong our seabirds have certainly made full use of our 5 star seabird pool for all their hot weather needs!

Seabirds cooling off

If three of these Kelp Gulls look familiar (maybe minus a bit of fluff?) well this is Aqua, Hughie and Espa who were featured on facebook when they were first rescued and brought to the Sanctuary as little chicks! The fourth Gull is 'Storm' who was found 2 weeks after our trio came in to care but has since buddied up with them and they are now all good friends. Also we should mention that their is a fifth member of our gull family that didn't make it into this picture (it is quite a task getting all 5 at once!) and just so he doesn't get offended his name is 'Owen'. 

All 5 of our Kelp Gulls have actually just started to fly which means we will be planning their release over the coming few days, very exciting stuff for the Gulls (and for the keepers too!!)

We will be sure to keep you posted! 

Swift parrot - concussed but okay!

Swift Parrot

Have a look at this little beauty! This is a young Swift Parrot that was clipped by a car down on Bruny Island on one of the very windy days we have had in Hobart this past week. Lucky for our feathered friend (pictured below), he was not badly injured and ended up with just a mild concussion. 

Swift Parrots are a rare and threatened species and are what we call breeding endemics, which means they only breed in Tasmania. When they are not in Tas they spend their time on the mainland of Australia, covering areas throughout Victoria and NSW.

It is estimated that the Swift Parrot population is approximately at less than 1000 breeding pairs, hence them being on the threatened species list. The reason for their decline is that the parrots mainly feed on the nectar of blue gum flowers (Eucalyptus globulus). Their breeding ranges are confined to the areas in Tasmania where blue gum trees occur, which is mainly on Tassie's east coast.

Blue gum trees are found mostly on unprotected land and they are disappearing fast. Clearing for agriculture and timber harvesting means that the removal of these old trees is lowering the age of our blue gum forests. The older the tree the more flowers and nectar the tree produces for birds such as swifts and also for any other nectar-feeding animals. The loss of these old trees and the effect it has had on the swifts means that they simply cannot get what they need to survive from their usual food source during breeding season. This is the major reason for the Swift Parrot's decline and another issue is that the old trees provide important nesting hollows which are essential to the breeding success of the Swift Parrot.

Help save these beautiful birds and protect blue gum trees on your property! 

The Tarkine devil project

Bonorong-Devil-Barrie-Irons

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary together with Tarkine Trails are assisting the Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania in their fight to save Tasmanian devils from extinction. We currently operate 45 motion-sensitive cameras throughout the rainforests and coastlines of the Tarkine in order to monitor one of the last devil populations that are free from the devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). Via Tarkine Trails' infrastructure, walks and custom built experiences, we offer guests the opportunity to participate in the collection and viewing of the camera data and it's also those taking a trip with Tarkine Trails that help fund this vital research!

Earlier this year we were fortunate enough to have Amogh Avarsha, a photographer and film maker from India, visit the Tarkine to experience its rainforests and see the Tasmanian devil research first hand. Amogh's time with us in the Tarkine inspired him to put together this short video to showcase the Tarkine's beauty and highlight our endeavours to protect it and its species. A huge thank you to Amogh for his time and efforts with this great video. We encourage you to all take a look at it, share it with your friends and family, and maybe even consider a trip with Tarkine Trails to help support the Tarkine and Tasmania's iconic species, the Tasmanian devil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtZH1dwWRpE&feature=share

Cats & Wildlife Safety

Bandicoot

This little critter is certainly very coot.... say hello to this sweet baby Eastern Barred Bandicoot!

Unfortunately for this little one he was brought in by someone's pet cat but luckily even being so tiny he was not badly injured and has gone into care.

We have had quite a spate of native animals brought in to the Sanctuary due to cat attacks so we thought it might be good to do a post aboutresponsible pet ownership relating to cats.

CAT FACTS:

A domestic cat will kill, on average, 16 mammals, 8 birds and 8 reptiles a year. Feral cats (with an estimated 1.2 million feral cats in Tasmania) will kill on average an astonishing 3.6 million small animals, lizards, and birds every day. 

Here are a few things to think about if you have a pet cat and want to protect wildlife too! 

1. Have your cat desexed. A desexed cat lives longer and is less territorial. It will wander, fight and mark its territory less, and generally makes a better pet. Desexing prevents unwanted litters of kittens that contribute to stray and feral cat populations, and to the ongoing destruction  of native wildlife.

2. Identify your cat as a pet. Cats that are lost, and are micro-chipped or have a collar with identification, can be identified and returned safely home to their owners.

3. Never dump your unwanted kittens or cat. Dumped cats can become feral and will prey heavily on wildlife as a food source. Unwanted animals should be given to a good home or humanely euthanased. Contact your local veterinarian for assistance.

4. Keep your cat from roaming. Cats kept indoors in a special ‘cat enclosure’ won’t prey on wildlife. And you will enjoy their company more too! Pet cats that are prevented from roaming are protected from injury, snake bite and from catching diseases from feral cats. Some people keep cats confined only at night. This will reduce their impact on nocturnal wildlife, but not on wildlife such as lizards and birds that are active during the day. Cats, especially those that roam, are the host for a blood disease called Toxoplasmosis, which can affect wildlife and is very harmful to humans and to livestock. Keep your cat confined both day and night if possible.

Here is a recent article that was in the Mercury on feral cats - http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/feral-pests-lurk-in-undergrowth/story-fnj4f7k1-1226746329348