Dirty Harry is By Kath Gannaway
WHEN it comes to tough, this is one koala that is living up to his name.
Dirty Harry is one gutsy marsupial according to Healesville Sanctuary veterinarian, Kelly O’Sullivan.
He is one of 10 koalas brought to the Sanctuary’s Wildlife Hospital after being burnt in the recent Warnambool bushfires.
Dr O’Sullivan and visiting vet students, Katie Eckert from the USA and Brigette Houssen from Canada, are part of the sanctuary team working day and night to treat the burns, feed and care for Harry and his mates.
The delicate procedure of cleaning and dressing the open wounds is done under anaesthetic but even with medication it’s a painful road to recovery and Dr O’Sullivan said Harry is toughing it out.
With burns to all four paws he is being hand-fed and is starting to put on weight.
Senior veterinarian Rupert Baker said the treatment and intensive care was requiring a lot of people-power.
“We have our volunteer guides helping out and Liz Gibbons, wife of our director, has come on board to help out with this one,” Dr Baker said.
He also praised the work of the wildlife shelter volunteers who took in the injured animals immediately after the fires.
“When we got the animals in we were able to look at the records and know what they have eaten and what treatment they have had. They are doing a great job,” he said.
Dr O’Sullivan was part of a veterinary team assisting the Department of Sustainability and Environment over the weekend to catch and assess more injured koalas at Warnambool.
