Baby Koala saved by St Helens Park WIRES carer expected to make recovery

A BABY koala named Peter, orphaned after a car crash in Leumeah, is drinking milk 1ml at a time, sucking it through his teeth, and carers hope he can one day return to the wild.

Baby koala Peter is being raised by a WIRES carer. Picture: Robert Pozo

A baby koala orphaned after a car crash in Leumeah has been given a second chance at life, after he was taken in by a wildlife carer.

St Helens Park resident Cate Ryan, a Wildlife Information and Rescue Education Service (WIRES) volunteer was on the scene when baby Peter’s mother died and has been raising him ever since.

“The mother was hit by two cars on Peter Meadows Rd and Junction Rd but neither driver stopped to help,” she said. “A third driver, who saw the two cars hit her, stopped and called WIRES.

“She managed to climb up a tree so we needed assistance from the fire brigade.”

Mrs Ryan’s husband Brett, a firefighter at St Andrews fire station, climbed a ladder and used a bucket to rescue the injured koala.

WIRES volunteer Cate Ryan, from St Helens Park, with rescued seven-month-old baby male Koala named Peter.

She was taken to Ingleburn Veterinary Hospital and treated immediately, but later died due to internal injuries.

“We tried to revive her for nearly two hours but she passed away under anaesthetic,” Mrs Ryan said. “Because the mum passed away that’s how Peter came into my care.

“I’m the only carer to have raised and successfully released a joey koala in the Sydney Basin.”

Baby Peter is six to seven months old and has now been in care for four weeks.

While he’s doing well, it’s estimated he will be in care for at least nine months before he is ready to be released into the wild.

“He’s meeting milestones and constantly gaining weight,” Ms Ryan said. “He won’t take a bottle so he gets fed by syringe one millilitre at a time and sucks it through his front teeth like a straw.”

The biggest threats to a koala joey is illness and stress, so Peter needs to be constantly cleaned, fed and kept in a quiet and stress free environment.

A two-year-old female Koala Kenzie that was rescued by WIRES.

Ms Ryan’s biggest concern though is the food.

“The main challenge for all koalas in care is food supply,” she said. “We’ve got three koalas in care and trying to find food for them is an absolute nightmare.

“We desperately need availability of eucalypt leaf so if there are any arborists or tree loppers out there who could help us we would really appreciate it.

“We also need more plantations of gums to grow, especially with the urban sprawl that’s happening now.”

Ms Ryan hand raised and released a young koala nicknamed Pindari back in 2013.

“The best thing about taking care of koalas is that I know I’m integral in getting them back in the wild which is where they need to be,” she said. “We just want Peter to be a happy, healthy and releasable wild Koala.”

To contact WIRES call: 1300 094 737

If you can provide volunteers with eucalypt leaves for the koalas, call: 8832 1668