Maru Koala Part 2

Perhaps the reason Koala is in the name of this sanctuary is due to the number of koalas they have in their keep. We saw several, and we know more are behind the scenes. We were fortunate to see some baby koalas sleeping on their mommies - it was very cute that one of them seemed to be nearly smothering its mom, but she didn't seem to mind.

The dingo was next. What pretty dogs! I have been reading about the making of the Australian dog, and the dingo plays a prominent role. They live primarily in the bush, so we did not see one in the wild, but it was fun to see it up close - looks a lot like my brother's dog, Chaco.

Although the kookaburra is plentiful in Australia, we saw very few and they certainly were not close enough to get a picture. So when we saw one at Maru Koala, Don managed to get a close-up of this pretty kingfisher. We never did hear one, which surprised us, but we must not have been in the right places. I did sing it its song, however.

The final find was what Aussies call a stick insect. It is much like a walking stick, except it looks much like a praying mantis. They are bigger than praying mantises, and they do not appear to eat each other . . . they are harmless, and their only defense is to look like a leaf or a stick. We neglected to get a picture of it, but Don did take a picture of the sign, which tells all about it.

Although this sanctuary was not as large as some others, it was thoroughly enjoyable, and we were able to see some animals that we had not yet seen.