All about kookaburras!

31 March 2006

One of the highlights of our job in the Wandering Wildlife team is that we are always training to rove new animals.

I am currently lucky enough to be training with Tik, one of our famous Laughing Kookaburras. Tik was a wild-born kookaburra and unfortunately injured his wing, which makes it very hard for a bird to get around! Tik was rescued and rehabilitated here at Australia Zoo, however due to his injuries he cannot be released back into the wild. So Tik is one lucky bird, don't you think? I would hate to think what could have happened if we hadn't found him before something else did!

Tik has made many friends. One in particular is Tok, another Laughing Kookaburra who was born here at Australia Zoo. You can see this funny fella in our free-flight bird show. Tik is definitely a true blue Aussie icon - when he sings and shows off, people come from everywhere to listen to and admire him. He is one talented boy.

Tik has a lovable personality, and I especially adore it when he sings to us.

There are two different types of kookaburras; the Laughing and the Blue-winged Kookaburra.

INTERESTING FACTS:>

*The Laughing Kookaburra is the world's largest kingfisher.

*The most obvious difference between the two kookaburras can be seen just by looking at them; the electric Blue-winged Kookaburra is hard to miss, and it also has a very distinctive (some say disturbing) call. The Blue-winged Kookaburra makes its home in north Queensland.

*The Laughing Kookaburra can be found in Victoria, New South Wales and southern Queensland. A small number can also be found south Western Australia. The main purpose of this kookaburra's call is to let other birds know of its territory and boundaries, and also in answer to their mate.

*A kookaburra lives in one place for most of its life. A family of kookaburras needs an area with some large native trees, and some garden areas in which they can safely search for food.

*To catch its food, the kookaburra uses a wait-and-pounce technique, taking up a post with a good view. When prey appears, the kookaburra drops straight down from its perch, its wings back, with beak ready to grab its dinner. The kookaburra is very family-orientated and when they mate it's for life.

Something to keep in mind!

When people use pesticides to kill insects, they end up poisoning the animals that usually feed on those pests. When kookaburras eat contaminated insects, they absorb the pesticide chemicals and store them in their fat. When food is in short supply and the kookaburras use some of their fat store, high concentrations of chemicals may flow into the blood. The result can be reproductive losses or even death. If you must use pesticides, choose the least toxic ones - and take special care to avoid those that build up residues in the bodies of animals that prey on insects.

Holidays... way out west!

24 March 2006

Generally when you hear that someone is going on holidays, you imagine a tropical holiday spent sipping cocktails at sunset - a beautiful, relaxing time away from work.

Well, it's generally not very relaxing as you're on the go the whole time, but that's holidays for you when you have a keen interest in all animals BIG and small.

Hi, it's roving Carly here! Everyone talks about what's going on in the Zoo, but what about the crazy animal lovers who go in search of different animals even while they're away from work? Weird? Nah, not at all. It's a lot of fun!

My partner Scott (from the Crocodiles Department) and I love to travel here, there and everywhere, looking for lots of animals along our journeys. We often visit one of the Zoo's properties out west in search of Aussie animals - especially REPTILES! Steve and Terri have acquired thousands of acres of land dedicated to conservation. The land is used to protect endangered species and secure breeding areas.

Our passion is for reptiles, and western Queensland is one of the best places to spot a couple and take many memorable photos. Heading out west looking for reptiles is exciting and very interesting, and you never know what you may come across.

Scott and I also love going to other zoos and talking to other keepers about what animals they look after. Australia Zoo is expanding all the time with new enclosures and new animals, so you can imagine how excited and rapt the keepers are when they hear what's coming up for our Zoo in the future. Australia Zoo is one big family and we all work together as a great team, helping out wherever it's needed. We all have the same interests - we love animals and we love to share them, too.

However all this excitement and adventure on your holidays sure does make you homesick... you kind of start to miss your own animals! So there is nothing better than returning from your holidays and seeing all your adored animal friends. For me seeing the dingoes, Tasmanian Devils and birds is the highlight of coming home. I guess it's a little hard for Scott to go up and give a crocodile a hug and say he missed them. We love animals, and if we can educate more people to appreciate and understand them, than there's a greater chance they will learn to love them too.

Freddo

17 March 2006

G'day everyone! It's Lauren here, and this is my mate Freddo. Freddo is one of our roving birds that you can see out and about in the Zoo when you come to visit. He is a playful but very cheeky Major Mitchell – a member of the cockatoo family.

Pink Cockatoos are birds of the semi-arid and arid zones of Australia, except Tasmania. Major Mitchell Cockatoos feed on seeds, fruits, nuts and tubers from a variety of native plants, but Freddo also loves his sunflower seeds, which he gets as a treat when coming out into the Zoo with me!

Between April and December, up to four eggs are laid high up in the hollows in trees, away from predators. Many of the large old eucalypts which the Major Mitchell needs to breed in have been cut down or cleared, meaning there is not enough space in most areas to host more then one pair of cockatoos, if any.

The pink cockatoo family has also been threatened by the aviculture trade (i.e. nest egg poachers) and also feral cats. Competition with galahs for nest hollows is also a possible factor in the Major Mitchell's demise.

The cockatoos are the most long-lived of all parrots, and have a life expectancy comparable to humans. Freddo is in his early thirties and will most likely live on to well over eighty. Some larger cockatoos have been known to live to more than 100 years old! These birds are very intelligent and crave a lot of attention, but Freddo doesn't want attention from just anyone... He prefers girls. He is a very picky boy and doesn't like the company of men much at all.

But when you're next in the Zoo, don't let that stop you from coming over and saying hello - he may even give you a wave!

First aid training

10 March 2006

Working at Australia Zoo is so much fun, especially working in the Wandering Wildlife Department. We make each other laugh every day with our bubbly natures and mischievous ways (Not that we are anything like those croc boys!). We get to play with a lot of different animals and talk to people, not only about these cute little critters, but about how we can help save them as well. Every day is so different and I can guarantee you that we never walk out at the end of the day without a smile on our faces.

However like every job, whether it is working in an office or in a Zoo, there is always a serious side. As you know, the Sunshine Coast can get very hot and we also know sometimes there can be accidents. That's why here in the Wandering Wildlife Department we take our first aid training sessions very seriously. Because we are constantly walking around the Zoo in all different areas, we tend to see a lot more than most other people would, and are often the first to arrive at a first aid situation. So after our busy Christmas holiday period died off, we got straight into our first aid training again.

We have been learning so much about how to deal with different situations and what we can do to help our First Aid Department. A lot of the time we are asked to assist in situations, whether it is to bring over some animals to entertain loved ones or just to help out. All the girls agree that we hope never to have to use this training, but we are all definitely feeling a lot more confident if something does come up.

We hope to see you soon, having a fun and safe time at the Zoo!

Gators RULE!

3 March 2006

Hooray! All of our hard work and training has paid off. Natalie, Lauren and I (Megan) are now the newest baby alligator handlers on the block! We have been working with the baby alligators and the Crocodiles Department for the last eight months, learning how to correctly identify and handle these little guys. A lot of our time has been spent behind the scenes, but over the last few weeks we have been venturing out into the Zoo grounds to meet guests.

There is a lot of work involved in learning how to handle baby alligators, even though they are still only about 30cm long and have only just turned one year old. We first need to identify who is who, as they all have names and we need to know who we have each time we handle an alligator. Then we need to know how to handle them so that we are supporting their bodies properly, and not exposing them to anything that may upset them or scare them. Being so small and young, these guys in the wild would be extremely vulnerable to predators and they are very alert to movement and noises, especially around the face.

We are all very proud of being able to handle these guys on our own, out in the Zoo, as it is not every day you get the opportunity to work with such an amazing little animal (that one day will grow into an amazing big animal). Thanks to the croc team for helping us out and answering our barrage of questions, and thanks to the baby 'gators for letting us handle them - it's a real privilege. Next time you’re at the Zoo, look out for the baby alligators, as you may be able to have a pat and a photo!