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Garrett with Coppa in Wildlife Ambulance

By: Michael Fox

Last month I joined Wildlife Ambulance officers, Garrett Smits and Vicki Pender, to return Coppa the Lucky Koala back to bushland adjoining Bulimba Creek at Mansfield. This is the third time Coppa has been taken to the Moggill Koala Hospital after being hit by a car on Creek Road.

Injured Koalas taken to the Moggill Koala Hospital are all given a name and micro-chipped before being released to bushland as close as possible to where they are found.

Coppa back in the trees - 10 Apr 2013

Southern Star – 10 April 2013

Coppa is a 5.5 year old male in good health … and very lucky.

  • 18/12/2011 – hit by car on Creek Road – course of antibiotics and observation for 10 days released north of Creek Road
  • 16/8/2012 – hit by car on Creek Road – bruising – obs for 3 days – released north of Creek Road
  • 19/3/2013 – hit by car on Creek Road – released yesterday bushland at end of Dividend Street Mansfield (south of Creek Road)

Vicki and Garrett are obviously proud of their Wildlife Ambulance work and particularly fond of this lucky Koala they have now rescued three times.

It was a pleasure to see a Koala return from hospital back to the wild. Koalas are breeding successful again in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve and bushland along Bulimba Creek. However, city drivers are not used to having to slow down for a Koala crossing the road. Breeding season from September to March is the time when Koalas are most likely to be crossing roads.

Coppa was hit in the same area each time … just within the 70km zone as you come down the hill from Carindale towards the Bunnings corner. Please be careful and report injured Koalas to 1300 WILDLIFE.