AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BEARS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 89, 30 March 1932, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BEARS

SYDNEY SANCTUARY. SAVING THE GUM BABIES. Sydney, March 10. There is one spot which visitors to Sydney for the bridge carnival, or on any other occasion for that matter, should not miss. It is the sanctuary for the native bear —40 acres of typical bushland known as Koala Park, at West Pennant Hills, which affords one an opportunity, not only to see a sanctuary unique in the history of fauna, but also to enjoy a delightful motor run to it, only a few miles beyond Sydney. At Koala Park they can see these quaint little animals in the ideal country' in which, if left alone, they flourish. Peeping everywhere from the gum tips are these innocent little bunnies fo rur The man whose thought and care have been the means of breeding and successfully rearing these lovable little animals at Koala Park is claimed to be the only person who has bred them in captivity. An afternoon or morning at the native bear farm will be one of the pleasantest memories of a holiday in Sydney, it one has his own car, all the better; he can carry a hamper and boil tho ■'•"billy” out in the busn. Some of the mothers among these little native bears, not content with their own gum babies in this big sanctuary, ha,ve developed a habit of stealing other babies among the trees. Ono little bear was discovered up a tree, not only with her own baby on her back, but with two others as well. Under tho supervision of veterinarysurgeons and other specialists who are taking a keen voluntary interest in the most lovable and harmless of Austral ian native animals, a hospital has been established at the sanctuary tor the in vestigation and treatment of diseases which are peculiar to the bears anu which, with man s commercial instincts, have done so much to decimate the ranks of these quaint little furred creatures. As a result ol this scientific supervision and treatment, an accurate history of the bears habits, diseases, longevity, and foods, is now being compiled lor the first time. The little bears, when sick, are said to be ideal patients, aud accept iflediciue from spoons with far less fuss than children The native bears will soon be going into their winter quarters to escape the cold southerlies, tueir winter homes being some degrees warmer uui their summer abode. This nvasiiuu, migration of these gum babies is merely from one side of tho park to the other. This work of saving these lovable little animals from extinction is well worth seeing.