Happy days

Miss G is back, thank goodness. Indy found her in the bush this morning and I heard heaps of screaming. She has been given a bit of a hard time it appears, or mated, not sure yet which one but otherwise she is happy to be back and went straight into her enclosure. I feel so relieved. I know she cannot cope in the wild on her own. As long as she goes on her adventures and comes back, I'm okay with that:).

Still going....

I still miss Johnson. Still feel so bad that I couldn't save him and had to make that decision for him. Its been a shocker of a week wombat wise. 2 dead wombats on the dirt road, both really healthy animals, such a waste for somebody to slam into when driving too fast. We also managed to get the manged wombat so that had to be put down immediately. At least that wombat we have helped as it would have been suffering for a long time. It was in a very bad way.

There has been some good news. There is a strong chance that Daphne is now leaving her wombat joey in the burrow at night when she comes to the feed station. We have put the night webcam at her burrow in the hope we may see her with it. Hopefully we will see Daph bring her joey to the feed station in a few weeks/months - with all the bad news of late, it would be a wonderful thing to see.

Still no sign of Miss G. I do worry about her, cannot help it. Have been to look for her but no sign so I have no idea as to where she has gone. I'm still hoping she will come back to the enclosure area at some point as she has done in the past. Will have to wait and see. Otherwise all wombats behaving (sort of) and we have two new residents coming in shortly, both females thankfully. All the wombats we have in care now are males, except for one female so more of a balance would be good.

I don't get it sometimes.....

I know that a combination of the good and bad make life worthwhile. In other words good times would not be good if you didn't experience bad times. That does not mean you have to accept or like the bad times or events. Daphne has arrived with no baby joey. What does this mean? I would say it is dead. That gorgeous little girl didn't get much of a chance at life did she? Here the wombats are as safe as they can be in the wild with the support if its required. If a little wombat joey cannot survive here for whatever reason, it makes me wonder how bloody hard it is for them in the wild. The success rate must be hideously low. Its sad to see her with no bulge anymore. And her behaviour has changed dramatically as a result. She is no longer the brave mother wombat but more a timid wombat again.

Miss G has also decided to go AWOL. I wish she wouldn't. She is not all there mentally and cannot stand up for herself but she insists on getting out. I'm hoping she will turn up again as she normally does after a few days.

RIP dear Johnson

A very sad day for me. I could not fix Johnson. I had to make the gut wrenching decision to have him put down yesterday. I feel like I have failed him, after raising him to virtual release. The world can be cruel sometimes. I hope his autopsy results will show me that there was nothing more I could have done for him. RIP my little guy, you will be missed.

Somebody made the comment the other day to me that I make it all sound so easy. Oh no no no. If anybody thinks it is 'easy' managing full time work, toddler, 2 x german shepherd puppies and a wildlife sanctuary, how wrong you are *lol*. I love it yes but believe you me, I have my days where its all too much. Or it just seems that there is bad news only. BUT what one has to do in life is make the most of every day. I have learnt to be positive as much as I can, do the best that I can and I've learnt along the way that if you don't finish it on that particular day, it is okay - there is always tomorrow:). Not everybody will thrive on what you do, that too is okay. Yeah yeah, been having too much time to think haven't I *lol*?

Back to everybody for feeding time. And then of course you see things like Daphne with her joey at night, that makes it all worthwhile:).

Bingo, we have managed to turn Johnson around. We have not given up on him and he hasn't given up either. He has a long long way to go but there is an improvement to last week - yay:).

Hmmm, we now have new medication for Johnson and its his last hope. He has until the weekend to respond, otherwise I am going to have to do the kindest thing for him and put him down. He has no more reserves, his body temperature has dropped substantially which means his system is really struggling. If a bacteria or infection can do this to his system, one has to think what would happen out in the wild? Would his immune system stand up to the stress of being a male out in the bush. If the answer is no, it is cruel to release, bottom line. I have to consider whether his system is strong enough, let alone him as a wombat. The saddest part is that he was due to be released but maybe in hindsight, this coming out now prevents him from having a horrible death ultimately in the wild. A catch 22 situation and a gut wrenching one to make for him but its for him, that is what I have to keep telling myself, not about how I feel. One of the hardest parts of doing this volunteer work. So the next few days until the weekend will be the course for him. I hope so much that he responds to this medication.

Hold thumbs for Johnson, we go to the vet again tonight. Just when you think you really are getting ahead with knowing how these animals function, something like this blows you sideways. Either way, I'll find out what is going on with him and hopefully pull him through. Its ironic that wombats who have been brought here on their death bed we have saved, yet one who has been with us since 500g and raised by us - almost ready for release has had a turn in health to put him close to this point and as humans we cannot stop the decline.

Veg is behaving like a female on PMS right now. Went out last night and she is truly eating for 2, if not 3!!! She followed me to the wombat studio and waited until I appeared with more food, bit me and then continued to eat. Ungrateful? No, just how wombats operate. If it was an aggressive bite, I would have known all about it. Tug had another encounter with Boney Bum last night but thankfully I was outside so we stopped it straight away. Its amazing the heights you can clear when you do wombats *lol*. Who ever thought you could clear 1.4m no problem if you have to:).

Now I am truly starting to think we might lose Johnson. I am at my wits end of what else to try with him. We have put him out into an enclosure this morning to give him some time out and in one that we can easily catch him but he just weighs nothing now. He is eating, that is the frustrating part but his body is almost rejecting the food. I've left a call with our dear vet yet again and waiting for him to call back. I just truly hate seeing these animals sick, they get under my skin so so badly.

So maybe young wombat males aren't as clever as they think they are:). Moses, a new addition (got lost in the wilderness and found the promise land, Sleepy Burrows:)) who was severely attacked last year decided that he was old and wise enough to take on another male wombat. This is where the enclosure area is the BEST teaching tool for wombats in rehabilitation.

Moses decided to pick on Harry. He carried on and on and eventually Harry got out didn't he? Well, Moses was found cowering in his enclosure. He wasn't so brave after all once Harry was out. At least it will teach him a valuable lesson for the real bush when he gets released. A few bits of fur missing but nothing serious. Along with the recent rain and wind, it has kept us busy as always with wombats out and about because of flooded burrows. However, Daph and her little one appear dry each night at the feed station, as do Boney Bum and Veg. Veg is now pregnant, we are sure of it. She is eating for two and has gotten a lot bigger all of a sudden. I can sympathise with her *lol*.

Johnson, hmmmm, he is a tough one. He is still in the sick bay. Eating a bit but his weight is doing nothing. The infection has cleared, now we have to fix his gut flora and get him to relax a bit as he cannot go back into an enclosure until his treatment is complete, otherwise we cannot get them down the burrows each night, unless we dig them out. Its a catch 22 as while they are getting slightly better, their instinct tells them they want out and back in the burrow. If only we could explain why we cannot do that right now, would make life easier for everybody as I hate seeing them unsettled.

Hmmm, toxoplasmosis seems to be rearing its ugly head in wombats more and more. Some things are starting to make sense to me in terms of wombats we have had in the past with brain damage. Why? Or has it always been out there in these numbers - good question I would like answered. I'm starting to think its why Miss G is like she is and various others we have had.

We have another manged wombat we are trying to catch. At least they come out in Winter and we can get them before summer. This one has been pushed out of its territory I would say with the condition it is in so it sadly has one road to follow BUT it will be a road of no more suffering at least. One has to be sensible and although you try and save all the ones you come across, it is kinder to put down at times, for the animals sake. Just never a nice job or feeling it leaves you with.

Johnson, we will be back to the vet. I'm not happy with his progress over the last week and I know the vet won't be either. He hasn't lost anymore weight but hasn't improved either. Man they do your head in sometimes as they are such strong animals for what they endure. Tug also decided to dig out of his enclosure last night. Found him frolicking on the bank this morning after banging around at 5am under the house. He doesn't know how lucky he is that Boney Bum didn't get hold of him last night. Tug is only about 15kg and not ready at all for release and would not have stood up to Boney Bum in the slightest.

Silo is no longer fun to walk, he is just bite bite bite which is great for him, that is what he has to develop but not fun for the person walking him in the bush. He now goes up to the enclosure area and digs to his hearts content for a few hours. He will move up there permanently at the end of winter. Looks like he is going to be a good solid male wombat as well. The new male named Moses has settled in very well. He is also responding to the other males in terms of territorial noises and sounds so that is great.

Why so many males in care this year and last - only they know. Thank goodness Daphne's little one is a girl. We have an idea that Veg is pregnant too, I hope that is another little female. Boney Bum has clearly been busy, I will say no more!!!

One of our wombats who had a very hard start in life, not only made it but is now a mother herself. We see her most nights and have been fortunate enough to watch her joey grow up in her pouch. Just another reason to live where we do. I hope we get to watch this little girl (yes, we know its a girl) grow up:).

Johnson is not reacting to the antibiotics which might mean what he has is viral which is not good. Means we have to watch him go downhill while his body tries to fight things. I'm hoping he will take a turn for the better. His weight is stable but he is still skeletal. Boney Bum continues to cause havoc at night and I do hope we don't have any pregnant females in the enclosure area. That thought had crossed my mind. Will have to watch and monitor his antics more closely I think, which is a bit hard when it is minus figures at night - not when you want to be out there sitting still and waiting!!!

How I wish my vet was listed on the stock exchange *lol*. Back to the vet with Johnson (aka little man) who has for some reason stopped eating entirely. Was the picture of health 2 weeks ago. Now resembles a skeleton. These animals never stop teaching you and of course, we need to find the underlying problem and somehow I think it is Boney Bum. Will see what our dear vet says.

Oh where do I start with such a long break from writing. Wombats have come and gone, moved, reshuffled, gotten sick, gotten better, more in, more out, you name it, its all happened in the last 2 months. Buzz you would now just not recognise. He is a dear old man it seems, with manners to match and does not resemble the wombat he was months ago when he came in.

Mr Bean, his back has still not healed over, its taking a long long time. Boney Bum continues to wreak havoc with jumping into enclosure areas at night and trying to assert his male dominance, and winning of course. Miss G has broken through the enclosure fence for the third time and has gone walk about. I'm hoping she shows up very soon. Veg continues to come and go in her own funny way. Daphne visits each night and has a huge belly with her little wombat joey who is now sticking out her head so you can see her eyes and nose. Sometimes she is asleep when Daph arrives and all you see are little legs sticking out, just gorgeous and I'm certainly very fortunate to be able to watch this little one grow up. I've seen wombats in pouches before but never this close or every night where we are able to photograph and study.

With wombats, there is ALWAYS a reason

Ah, makes perfect sense now. Veg has been coming out very early to eat. This meant that something was wrong. We have just gone out and given her an injection and cleaned out her nose. She is bleeding from her nostrils tonight and her chest sounds horrific. She has pneumonia. This is quite common in wombats and if not treated will kill them. So she begins her treatment. Thankfully she is one female which we can still catch. She has come back for help, as they do. So you see, another 'quiet night' - not! Now off to syringe feel Mr Bean who is still not eating or drinking. Thankfully Buzz appears to be thriving and Harry appears to be responding well to treatment for his wounds although his back still has a very prominent arch which indicates pain. Back to it.