Spring Quartet
Early September — Late October, pepper shakers
As the autumn quartet made their final appearance on camera and headed off deep from view, the spring quartet, who will follow in their footsteps and be released in the same fashion six months from now, fell into place, though with some sorrow at the start. Not all of the wildlife that comes into care makes it to release, depending upon the reasons that landed them in care (injuries and underlying issues).
Sadly, Tink, a ringtail joey who came into care, started to have seizures. The kindest and only thing to do was to have her euthinased at the nearest vet straight away, where they were so gentle with her little form. So, too, with Nell, a Gould’s wattled bat (Chalinolobus gouldii).
To Tink and Nell!
To Peggy, too!
A little red, Little Peg (pictured below), for short, was found in Collingwood behind a hot water system by a caring member of the public and brought into care. She weighed 72 grams, roughly the same as an egg or 10 graphite pencils, at the time. She curled her tail over her wee face and we thought about whether or not this peek-a-boo headband was something she’d continue doing as a juvenile.
To Melody, as well!
The littlest of the season’s ringtails, skipping along like a song, sweet Melody (Mouse) (pictured below). Upon arrival, she weighed just 66 grams, and all of it was spark. She liked to race up along your arm to snuggle in upon your shoulder and from there, survey the world, as the others fed, before scampering back down.
Not all of them make it, but all of them were loved and made as comfortable as possible for the time they beamed.
Now on sure-footing, our spring (intake) quartet is comprised of Ernestine, Henrietta, and two sisters, Bernice and Beryl.
Here’s to Ernie and Hen, Bernie and Beryl Bear, living long wild lives. Here’s to the pepper shakers! To the noccies (our slang for ‘nocturnal’, pronounced similar to ‘gnocchi’ with an S at the tail)!
Ernestine was found in a park in East Malvern by someone who saw a dog scare a ringtail possum, and as they made their escape, their joey, Ernestine, fell off. They attempted to reunite Ernestine with her Mum, but to no avail, so they took them to the nearby vets. Aside from the trauma, Ernestine came into care in good condition (outwardly), weighing 93 grams, or the equivalent of 20 sheets of A4 paper suitable for a zine, or six teaspoons of peanut butter, or so the internet tells us. 93 grams, adorable, no matter which way you relate it. If all continues to go well, Ernestine will be ready for soft release roughly six months from now, when she puts on a further 603 grams.
She is joined by Henrietta, who upon her arrival weighed 84 grams, or four hours of a cinema reel. Like Peg, she is a red, with a peach tummy, and, in our dealings, she is the most shy of the group, but who knows if this is true in their possum world or not. She has a terrific long coat that is often tufted every which way.
Joining Ernie and Little Hen, for the autumn soft release quartet, we hope, is rusty duo, Bernice and Beryl. They came in weighing 40 grams less than we thought, at 67 grams and 61 grams respectively, but after the first week, they seemed brighter and their coats improved. They were the skinniest joeys we’d ever handled.
Flowers are a treat for the joeys, and they particularly enjoy devouring the egg-shaped petals of the prickly tea-tree (Leptospermum continentale), when in flower; the clusters of small white flowers that grow in between the leaves on the dropping tendrils of the willow myrtle (Agonis flexuosa), as well as the long, narrow leaves; and the soft pink tips of the Calistemon, in abundance at this time of the year.
At this pace, they’ll be ready for the larger sized enclosure sooner than planned.
Of quartets to ‘others’, we are delighted to have our work included in a forthcoming exhibition at Art Gallery of Ballarat.
Coming up:
Significant Others
Art Gallery of Ballarat
Wednesday 4 November, 2023 — Sunday 11 February, 2024
While the term ‘significant other’ has come into everyday use to refer to someone’s intimate partner, it has its origins in psychology, referring to people who have a major influence on one’s quality of life — a parent, mentor or other figure who has shaped a person’s development.
This exhibition celebrates connections between artists and their works in the Gallery’s outstanding Collection, exploring a range of different relationships between pairs of artists — as partners, family members, teachers, mentors or friends.
Artists in the exhibition include Hans Heysen and Nora Heysen, John Brack and Helen Maudsley, Joy Hester and Albert Tucker, Inge King and Grahame King, George Lambert and Thea Proctor and many more.
Image credit: Ernestine, 93 grams, adorable.
