February - Russet

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Russet

Rescued : 24/05/2024 Reason: Vehicle Strike Weight: 9.88 kg Sex: Male

Russet’s Road to Recovery

When Russet was brought to SKER, he had no obvious injuries despite being struck by a vehicle. Sadly, this is often the case with wildlife collisions — many go unreported because the animals appear fine on the outside. In Russet’s case, however, he was suffering from a serious and life-threatening condition: a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) that left him struggling to breathe and with dangerously low oxygen levels.

Our vet team worked tirelessly to remove the air from his chest cavity to help his lung reinflate. It was touch and go for a while, but Russet’s sweet nature and love of food helped him through the toughest days. Along the way, he also needed surgery to remove an eye cyst — another hurdle in his long road to recovery.

As his strength slowly returned, all that was left was for his fur to grow back so he could better cope with the chilly weather. Once he was strong enough, Russet moved into one of our tree yards where he could climb, forage, and build up his muscles again.

After three months in care, Russet was finally ready to go home. He was released onto a beautiful property in his hometown of Kersbrook, where he could continue to live out his life as a wild koala.

He may have looked a little unusual with his patchy fur when he left us, but to us he was as handsome as ever — and proof that with care, patience, and a lot of eucalyptus leaves, even the most fragile wildlife patients can thrive again. 

How I got my name: Named after the colour of the leaves at his rescue site

Favourite eucalypt to eat: River Red Gum (Eucalyptus Camaldulensis)

Check out this Video of him