Kempsey Abai, the koala joey rescued from a vehicle strike on Crescent Head Road in August 2023, has been successfully released into the wild.
Koala rescuers De and Carol from the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital transported Abai in the Koala ambulance from the Koala Hospital to a forested area near where she was originally found.
Abai had only to pass her final health check before being allowed to leave the hospital, but she led the staff on a merry dance, eluding capture for two weeks!
In February, after weighing in at a healthy three kilograms, Abai was transferred from home care to koala school, located in the Koala Hospital.
While mainly solitary animals, an essential skill the joeys need to learn is to get along with other koalas.
Joined by two koala joeys from Laurieton, also hand reared after their mothers were killed by vehicle strikes, Abai immediately scaled the highest tree in the enclosure and stayed there.
The staff at the koala hospital were finally able to coax her down from the highest fork in the tree of her enclosure, and after passing with flying colours, Abai was transported to a safe patch of bush she can now call her own.
While we have come to the end of koala breeding season – which runs from August through February – as we come up to the busy holiday period, please continue to pay attention on our roads, especially during dusk and dawn, when koalas are most active.
Slow down and drive carefully, especially at night, to avoid any unfortunate accidents.
If you do some across a koala in need, please phone the Koala Emergency Rescue Line on 02 6584 1522, run by the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.
