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I
love animals. I have always kept pets, mostly dogs and horses.
Here are a few photos of some new friends of mine:
I
met this little fella in Cleland Wildlife Park, Adelaide.
He didn’t mind at all having his photo taken,
as long as he got to nibble on his eucalyptus leaves.
The
koala resembles a bear, but it is not even related to them.
It
belongs to the family of marsupials, one of those unique types of
animals of which you find most in
Australia. Just after birth, it crawls from the birth canal up the
mother´s belly and into a pouch on her front, where it attaches
itself to one of her nipples. Here it spends the next 6-7 Months
before being ready to manage on its own. The koala feeds only on
eucalyptus leaves, and doesn´t usually have any intake of water.
If
there is one animal we think of as being a “native” Australian,
it is the kangaroo.
It also belongs to the marsupials, and there are several types of
them.
Here a couple from Cleland Wildlife Park, Adelaide:
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Nature
sometimes plays tricks on us, and this Albino kangaroo is a result
of that. Beautiful, but unusual. “Big Red” to the right, was a
huge male we found basking in the sunshine. I wouldn´t like to go
one on one with that one, I can tell you!
But he was very docile, wasn´t even interested in the
nibblies I had brought him.
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The wombat is a bit of a character. It looks like a giant
guinea-pig, but it is none the less a marsupial. It digs and lives
in burrows, and can cause a bit of annoyance if it digs those
holes under garden fences or on other private property. But it is
such a charming bugger!
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Lorikeets
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Emu
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Galah
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Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
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There
are about 700 types of birds in Australia, and it is a true sight
and sound when parrots gather in the morning for a squabble.
The well known budgerigar(budgie) comes from Australia, and is a
nomadic bird species that live in huge flocks and travels over
long distances. With
that background, should they really be kept in small cages...?
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The salt water crocodile is found in the Northern parts of
Australia, in coastal areas and up along rivers. It is the largest
living reptile today, and can grow to over 7 meters in length. And
let it be said that most people can not do what the guy in
the photo is doing. You see one, you stay away!
The
picture links you to a great Australian site where you can find
more information about these magnificent animals.
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Meet Steve and Terri Irwin!
In
long, dark, cold Norwegian Winter Months it has been a bliss to be
able to slump down into comfortable chair, turn the television on
and relax in the company of Steve and Terri on Animal Planet.
Their love for nature and wildlife, their knowledge and
enthusiastic approach is not only entertainment - it makes you
feel like you are almost there with them. Great shows!
Click
the picture and you can visit them on the Web.
As most of you probably know by now, Steve
Irwin (22.04.1962 - 04.09.2006) tragically lost his life this
September. It was a shocking and very sad loss for everybody who
appreciated his passionate love for animal welfare and nature
conservation.
I will still leave my link to their web site open, as both Steve's
and Terri's work was on a scale of the greatest importance to all
of us, and should be kept in focus.
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More
wildlife, of the extinct sort...
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