The headline said it all. "Dogs signalled alert for koala in reserve." In the Mac's
Koala Club column of June 10th, 1998 Steven Ward and Dr Robert Close announced,
" We are excited to report that at last a koala has been sighted in the Smiths
Creek Reserve.
The koala was seen by Ruse resident Marcia Pain in her backyard one evening after
she was alerted by her dogs' strange behaviour. Once the dogs were inside, the
koala descended the tree it had climbed and headed towards the back fence, which
backs on to the Smiths Creek Reserve.
However the koala found the fence to be a tough one to cross and after a few attempts
had still not managed to climb over. Concerned that the koala might be stuck, Marcia
and her son went to help. Using a towel, they grabbed the koala and after a brief
struggle managed to place it over the fence in the Smiths creek Reserve where it
quickly moved off and climbed a nearby tree.
We advise not to handle wild koalas as they will fight if necessary, and are well
armed with sharp teeth and claws.
From Marcia's description, the koala may be Dan, a young koala caught in Ruse close to
Peter Meadows Creek in February. Marcia observed that the koala had ear tags but
unfortunately couldn't tell us what colour the tags were as it was too dark.
There is suitable koala habitat in Smiths Creek Reserve although a koala's journey
there would be difficult.
There are only a few spots where the Smiths Creek Reserve comes close to linking
up with Peter Meadows Creek bush.
This means that the koala would probably have travelled through many Ruse residents'
backyards as well as crossing busy Junction Road.
If you are a resident of Ruse, please be on the lookout for Dan. He may pass through
your property or you might even see him on the roads.
If you have dogs, they may spot Dan before you so investigate if your dogs are barking.
You might also consider looking through the trees in your backyard. Check the trees
for fresh scratches and faecal pellets and perhpas use a bright light to see if Dan is
around.
Eye shine, which is light reflecting off the back of the eyes, will help you detect if
koalas and other animals are present.
If you should spot any koala, lookout for the ear tags and record which colour tag is in which ear,
left or right, and call us as soon as possible on 9962 9996."
In Mac's Koala Club in the Macarthur Advertiser of the 15th July, 1998 Robert and Steven
provide more information on "Devilish Dan's escapades."
"Recently we received a call from East Campbelltown resident Ian Gooda. Ian lives on
the western side of Smiths Creek Reserve, not far from the Campbelltown East primary
school. Another local, Bevan North, had spotted a young koala on the suburban street
and watched as the koala walked down the street and climbed a liquidambar in Ian's
front garden.
Ian reported that the koala had coloured ear tags and we identified the koala as being
Dan, a young male caught in Februaury this year in Ruse. He was next spotted in June
June in a backyard on the eastern side of Smiths Creek.
Ian was understandably concerned about Dan's welfare. We were reluctant to move Dan because
koalas are part of the Campbelltown environment. They have to learn the tricks to survive
dogs, cars and people and have to become familiar with the layout of the bush and suburb.
We advised Ian that he shouldn't try to capture Dan as koalas are very strong for their
size and have very sharp teeth and claws.
In a suburban environment the biggest threats to koalas are dogs and cars. You may
think that your dog would "never harm a fly" but dogs do attack and kill koalas.
Roaming dogs (ie those that get out or are not confined to a yard) are particularly
dangerous to dispersing koalas. You can help by making sure your dog doesn't wander
off and by immediately investigating any barking.
Ian reported that a small group of residents were admiring Dan in his tree. We suggested
that if the watchers stood about 15metres away from Dan's tree he might descend. A
little while later Ian called again and reported that dan had come down and that
another resident had managed to "herd" Dan down the street and back towards the bush
by staying a few metres behind him.
There was a frightening moment when a car came flying around a nearby corner, but
luckily Dan was not in the way. Dan then crossed the road back towards the bush, and
scampered up a nearby tree.
Being a young, adventurous male, Dan is likely to keep wandering and could well turn
up again on someone's property. If so, please call us so that we can follow Dan's
movements.
The Mac's Koala Club of the 23rd September, 1998 gave more details of Dan's adventures.
It said in part, " We believe Dan originally came from Peter Meadows Creek and travelled
west through bush and backyards to Smiths Creek Reserve, where he has been around for
two months. A recent sighting close to the Shell Service Station on Junction Road has
inicated that Dan has headed back east towards Peter Meadows Creek or the Georges River.
We recognised Dan from his coloured ear tags and would like all Ruse residents to watch
out for him.
It also appears that the koala breeding season is underway. Normally the season starts
in September and runs through February. With all the recent rain, the bush is looking
great and we expect that this will be a great year for the koalas.
The male koalas are in good condition and should be bellowing to foes and female friends.
These can sound quite frightening. Listen to our recorded bellows on 46203200 to
appreciate the unusual sounds."
Dan was certainly on the move ! He was next recorded in the Macarthur Advertiser column
on the 28th October, 1998 after Steven had captured him on Appin Road, about 400 metres
south of St Helen's Park. His weight was now 7.5kg.
