Macropus Copulus Sighted at the Koala Sanctuary

The annual pass to Lone Pine, the Koala Sanctuary of choice for the Discerning Macropod Appreciator, got another outing the other day and Grandma Mary, in the twilight of her support mission, was treated to one of the finer wildlife experiences that Brisbane has to offer.

Eloise was particularly excited to make the trip as her best friend Hannah was in attendance, and she had some personal successes also. I will make a list:

1) A personal photograph with a Dingo, yes a Dingo! The Dingo, probably called something like Sandy, owing to its sandy coat, was out for a walk with his/her handler. His/her handler appeared to have a handler of his own, and Eloise somehow caught the handler's handler's eye while they were having a conversation about something deeply technical and the handler's handler, in a mysteriously American accent, suggested a photo for the "little girl" which the dingo's handler was only too pleased to agree to.

2) The Bird of Prey show where Eloise was able to demonstrate her general geniusness to anyone who would listen by identifying, at the top of her voice, the barn owl. Mysteriously the American handler handler, who must have been some visiting official or something, volunteered for some raptor action, and hey presto, there he was messing with the big birds, bypassing all the paying customers in one easy swoop.

3) There was great excitement on the Kangaroo fields as a pair of amorous roos consummated their unstoppable romantic urges in the most public - if not the most protracted - display of affection I've seen for a while. Eloise was there with her camera, and snapped a shot which I have edited here for decency, but which deserves a place on the success list nonetheless.

Amusingly, children were approaching the pair as they were carrying out their... activity... and offering them encouragement by holding handfuls of roo-food underneath their noses. Food in which the roos were perhaps understandably uninterested. The parents, keeping their distance, not wanting to get involved, called from afar: "Maybe not those kangaroos, Aspidistra! Why don't you try those others over there! The ones that aren't cuddling!"

I got some knowing glances from some grownups though when Eloise bounded across the fields to me shouting "Come and look! There are some kangaroos mating!" Maybe that should go on the list too, for sheer Attenborough-ish-ness.

Hooray for animal love! And hooray for lists of personal success!

In other news, everyone had fun with the lorikeets, Lyra and I got to molest a wombat up close (and when I say molest, I mean annoy with a net full of hay, which really needs explanation - unfortunately), and the cockatoos didn't utter a single word.