# A walk which included Deer, horses and A Koala Joey .



## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

I took the three dogs to a state forest for a 4 hour walk today. i won't ramble as i am posting from my phone and it's not as easy as the puter .

About 10 minutes into the walk the three dogs took off after some Deer. Astro and Zsa Zsa came back fairly quickly but Ozkar stayed on it. He came back in about 10 minutes with grazes under both eyes from hammering through the bush so focused on the Deer that he didn't notice what he'd done. 

Later on the walk we bumped into some horse riders who had dog friendly horses. They allowed me to introduce the dogs to the horses which was nice. They all had a swim in the river together. Although the dogs were a little wary of the large beasts.

Then as the icing on the cake we discovered an orphan Koala Joey in a tree. We called wildlife rescue who were luckily a couple of miles from us. we then watched as he rescued it from the tree . i took some crappy mobile phone pics.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Wow, sounds like a fun time!

I spent three weeks in Australia a few years back--it was lovely. I was fascinated by the wildlife, since it was nothing like I've seen in the Midwest! We got to pet a koala, and cuddle an orphaned kangaroo joey. It's mum had been hit by a car, which I understand is a relatively common occurrence, right? A lot like deer getting hit where I'm from. He was very sweet. It was subsequently very strange (but delicious) to eat kangaroo steaks for dinner the next night.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Yeah RBD, the Kangaroo and the Emu are National Symbols and are on our coat of arms. But, they are a bloody tasty coat of arms I must say. 

Kangaroo meat is very cheap over here and one of the benefits is that it is ridiculously low in fat. But, for humans to eat, it must be very well prepared and cooked rare. If it is medium to well done, it's like chewing leather. But, if it is well marinated or just killed, it is very, very tasty cooked rare.

Emu is also a tasty meat. As is Crocodile. It's really only something which has become common in the last 15 years, eating our wildlife. Prior to that, nobody really ate it apart from the Aborigines. 

As for Koalas, they are protected over here as we nearly wiped them out when we started clearing land in the late 1700's and early 1800's. They have come back in large numbers through conservation programs and now we have to keep relocating parts of Koala colonies in order to preserve there food source. They can only eat about 3 or 4 different varieties of Eucalypt Leaves, so when populations get out of hand, they start running out of food. So then we do a relocation program to move some to an area where there is more gum trees for them. They also have a problem with Koala Clamydia. Yep, they are dirty little rooters Koalas. They spend 90% of there lives sleeping, 2% eating and the rest having sex. Very promiscuous little animals 

If you got to hold a Koala, that would have been somewhere other than the state of Victoria. Here in Victoria, we are banned from handling them, even ones in captivity. However, most of the other states have more realistic laws and allow the captive Koalas to be handled by the tourists.

If you come across one in the wild, you look but don't touch, as despite the soft cuddly appearance, they are a very aggressive little marsupial. 

I have held several in captivity up in Queensland when on holidays. Even for an Aussie who sees them regularly in the wild, it was a gorgeous experience. The captive ones are just so affectionate. I love holding them and scratching there ears. They react like any dog or human would to this. They crane there necks so you can scratch the bit they really want scratched. Very cute little creatures. 

I don't know if I posted this previously, but we also came across an Echidna again the other day. These are our version of an ant eater. They look like a hedgehog with spikes. 

I just also returned from our evening walk and saw something you don't see every day. I watched Astro as he spotted some fish feeding in the shallows of the lake. Next thing I see him strike at something in the water. A moment later, Astro's proud face pops up from the reeds with a fish in his mouth. He brought it to me and dropped it on the bank for me. I took a pic, as I wouldn't have believed it unless I had seen it!! Never heard of a fishing dog before. Not to say it hasn't happened, I am sure it has, but I have never seen it. I just wish I had the video going at the time, as it really would have been one to send into a funny home videos show or something similar.

As for native wildlife and cars. Yep, your right, they are an all too common victim of vehicles.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Ozkar,
When are you going to get and carry a good camera? I sound like a Nikon salesman but the Coolpix in a pouch I carry takes "good enough" pictures and videos for blog posts. 

;D
Seeing the day to day places you and the dogs go can be interesting stories. A walk with Vizslas almost always creates an adventure.

If I don't get 50 smiles per hour out of a walk, something is wrong.
;D
Happy trails.
RBD


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Beautiful blue sky. Where are the dogs?

-3 celcisus, no wind and sunny this morning, winter is half over, here


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

RBD, I have TWO proper cameras believe it or not. A big eff off Fuji with a 300mm Zoom and a little Fuji point and click. I just keep forgetting to put the little Fuji in the pocket. I just bought a new mobile phone too, which actually has a fantastic camera in it. Good enough for web pics anyways. But, it didn't focus properly on those shots for some reason?? I think it may have been the position of the sun as it was almost facing me. 

But I promise RBD to either get the phone working properly, or take the point n click!!!


Datacan, it was 36 degrees celcius here yesterday with about 90% humidity. Hence the reason I went up into the mountains to find a few degrees cooler and some shady forests. 

I am going to try and take them back up there today. But, it will depend on how my back feels. I have a ruptured L4/L5,S1, which I re-injured yesterday, doing of all things........ Housework!!!!  I moved the kitchen table to sweep the tiles before I washed the floors and when I pulled it, I heard the back go POP again. Followed by the usual excruciating pain. I dosed up on anti-inflams and pain killers last night, so slept OK, but I am walking like I have a pole shoved up my you know where at the moment.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

:'( Back pain is familiar for me as well. I spent 18 years sitting in front of a microscope. The only thing that really helped were 2 sessions with a good acupuncturist and after the treatment, walking the dog. 
I had 32 needles at once, 20 of them in the lower back right down to my tail bone 
Nothing to worry about, the critical part is the upper middle of the spine.


P.s. If I loose my cat I send Sam to find it...he usually dives him up the tree or herds him back inside ;D Koalas are cute, I admit.


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