Phillip Island Penguin App:Just at YOUR App Store!

Any cool penguin app available? Don't ask US,ask Phillip Island Nature Park! They have their very own cool app and check a look! It's at the app store now! It helps you the learn about fun facts and more! SUPAW!

Our friend,Tahnee Barnes sent a special gift-photos of Mikey and Hippy just for YOU to print!

G'day everyone! When AGM say G'day,there must be something to do with Aussie! Our friend,Tahnee from Featherdale Wildlife Park gave us these pictures of Mikey and Hippy,a koala and a tawny frogmouth from the Featherdale family! Sweet Tahnee took photos of them privately and sent them to US! We totally love it! And we're telling you that YOU are welcomed to print it for your Featherdale collection! It's a grrreat addition,and definitely worth barking about! We're still waiting for Tahnee to reply,and when she does,LUCKY you will get to see both the photos and the facts of cheeky Mikey and adorable Hippy! You'll LOVE it! But,while waiting for Tahnee to reply,enjoy these printable pictures!

Souvenir Edition of our whale interview with Sharon!

Hi AGM readers! Jervis Bay Dolphin and Whale Watching Cruise's deck hand Sharon told AGM about not only their cruises,and about whales too!   (Souvenir Editon)
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AG:How many whales do you normally see?

Ans. Some days maybe only a couple and other days we may see more than
30 on one cruise.

AG:How long have you been operating Dolphin And Whale Watching Cruises Jervis Bay?

Ans. 23 years.

AG: What species of whales are most likely to be extinct?

Ans. Minke whales, southern right whales the whales we see the most are Humpback Whales and their numbers are increasing which is great!

AG:How long does a baby whale need to feed on its mother's milk before
it can find it's own food?

Ans. 3-6 months.

AG: So tell us the migrating patterns of the whales.

Ans. From May to August they are heading up north Queensland for mating
then from September to November they are return to the south .

AG:Do the whales like the boat?

Ans. Yes,they seem to be attracted to the boat and are very curious of
people watching them.

AG:How do you find these whales?

Ans. Just by taking the boat out and looking.We are very lucky they are
easy to find from the spray when they breathe.


AG:Are there any important rules when you go whale watching?

Ans. Yes,definitely! We need to stay 100 meters away from a whale and
300m away from a mother with calf.

AG:How does a whale milks on its calf?

Ans. The mother has a mammary gland which she extend for the calf when
she wants it to feed, she situates in into the calf's mouth so no water
gets in the calf's drink approximate 600 litre per day.The calf's stay with their mother for 2 migration seasons.

AG: How often do you see new calfs?

Ans. We see many new calf's especially during the return migration
around October/November, the mothers bring the calf's inside Jervis Bay
to rest and feed before continuing the journey.

AG:What is the normal lifespan of a whale?

Ans.45-50 years.

AG:How many baby whales can a mother whale produce during her lifetime?

Ans. A female has a calf out every 3 years, however it is unknown when they stop producing calf’s.

AG:What is the gestation period of a whale?

Ans. 11.5 months.

AG:Do you vaccinate your whales? (Please tell us why and how many times you vaccinate them a year.) If they fall ill,what kind of disease do they have (normally)?

Ans. No our whales are wild animals

AG:Do you have any advice for AG readers looking to get a carrier similar to your own?

Ans. Study hard!Maybe even look into marine research.Good luck!

AG:White whales are very rare,and did you ever saw one before? (If not,tell us about locations white whales would be spotted)


Ans. There is one white Humpback whale that does the migration every year, we have missed out on seeing it but it has been seen in Sydney several times.…

AG:Do female and male whales both sing? (Tell us more about their songs and how they sing.) How many whales sang for the cruise before?


Ans. Only the males sing, it is thought they sing to attract females and to communicate with each other.


AG:When did you bought the boat and when did you operate your first cruise?

Ans. Our boat and company was formed 22 years ago.

Print this SUPAW COOL "Souvenir Editon" of our SUPAW secret interview with Tahnee Barnes!

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Featherdale Wildlife Park-a wildlife experience like no other!

AGM comes down private with Featherdale Wildlife Park's education program coordinator,Tahnee Barnes.

AG:How long have you been operating Featherdale Wildlife Park for?

Ans. Featherdale Wildlife Park has been in operation for 40 years this year.


AG:What is the animals population in the wildlife park?

Ans. 2,200 animals from more than 300 Australian species.


AG:Which type of animal is the hardest to maintain? Why?

Ans. Each animal has its own specific requirements. For example, Koala food takes 6 hours to collect each day, and must collected every day of the year; during breeding seasons certain animals require dramatic increases in food and browse; our crocodile enclosure contains water pools that must be heated.


AG:In the event any animals in your wildlife park require any emergency medical attention, how do you deal with such situations?

Ans.We have qualified keepers who are able to provide first aid, and an off-site veterinarian is available for all emergencies.


AG:Does your wildlife park have any operation theatre/facilities to deal with such emergencies?

Ans. We have a quarantine holding area and vet block facility to care for injured animals. Medication is also administered here.


AG: Why not tell us about famous animals( animals that have names and are famous) at your wildlife park!Especially your koalas;)!! Do tell us their name,birth dates & story etc!

Ans. “Fatso” the wombat featured on a long running television series “A Country Practice”; “Rex” the Echidna featured on underwear commercials known as ‘sick ‘em rex’

AG:Where did you get those amazing animals from?

Ans. All Featherdale Wildlife Park’s animals are obtained through our many successful breeding programs, as well as through trading with other zoos and wildlife parks.


AG:How many wildlife specialists and staff do you have?

Ans. We have over 30 qualified keepers at Featherdale Wildlife Park. In total we have 90 staff employed at Featherdale Wildlife Park + 10 volunteers.


AG:What is the rate of casualties of your marine life annually?

Ans. Our collection consists of primarily land-based animals. Most animals in captivity will live longer than they would in the wild where predation by other species and disease cannot be controlled. Our animals are very well cared for at Featherdale Wildlife Park and generally live to a good age.


AG:Do you have any rescue program for any injured or trapped animals in the wild?

Ans. We receive many native animal donations from the public each year. Where animals cannot be released back into the wild, we try to find another home for them.


AG:So tell us more about the enclosures and animals there.

Ans. All Featherdale Wildlife Park enclosures are specifically designed and built according the species that is to be housed. We follow strict guidelines from the Exhibited Animal Protection Act (EAPA), and ensure the highest quality and safety for each and every enclosure and animal. We do our best to recreate each animal’s natural environment, as well as their diet. Where possible we have housed 2 or more species together that are naturally found in the same habitat, but are able to live harmoniously.


AG:Do the animals seem to like their enclosures?

Ans. Our enclosures are maintained to very high standards. Enrichment is provided to animals on a regular basis in order to keep them happy and healthy.


AG:Are there any young animals in the zoo? If yes, please tell us their names, birth dates etc!

Ans. We breed many animals at Featherdale Wildlife Park each year. Some species include Koalas, Wallabies, Penguins, White-browed Wood Swallows and Black-headed Pythons.


AG:How do you get your animal food? (The food that your kangaroos eat, etc)

Ans. We source all food from local suppliers so that the food is always of the highest quality when it reaches our animals.


AG:Which animal is most productive in your wildlife park?

Ans. Adeline, could you please define what you mean by productive? E.g. best breeders? Most popular with visitors? Etc...


AG:How many times do you feed the animals a day? And normally at what times?

Ans. At least 1-2 times a day, depending on the individual dietary requirements of each animal, and/or if it is being hand-raised or is in breeding season.


AG:Do you give animals the same food every day? If yes, won't they get sick of it?

Ans. No, but there is a staple part to every diet for consistency in fats, minerals, calcium, vitamins etc...


AG:If we found an injured animal, what should we do?

Ans. The first aid actions for animals are quite similar to that of treating a human. First ensure you and the animal are safe from any surrounding danger, then try to assess what condition the animal is in e.g. is it unconscious, bleeding, broken bones etc... Use personal protective equipment such as rubber gloves, towels and carry packs to put the animal in a secure and safe hold, and then take the animal to the nearest veterinarian or wildlife park.


AG:Does Featherdale Wildlife Park receives any subsidy from the government?(If not, who pays for the vet bills?)

Ans. We receive minimal funding from the government and rely instead on visitors to the park.


AG:Do you have any advice for AG readers looking to get into a career similar to your own?

Ans. You need to find a start- e.g. volunteering, studying; and then let your passion and enthusiasm expand your career from there.

AG: Which animal is most productive in your wildlife park?

Ans. We have very successful breeding programs for Koalas, as well as our Wallabies, Kangaroos and Quolls.


AG:How does a penguin breed? (Or how do you breed baby penguins?)

Ans. A Penguin is a bird species, and therefore lays eggs. The incubation period is 35 days, and the parents take turns incubating the eggs. At Featherdale our chicks are raised by their parents for the first 3 weeks, and then hand-raised by keepers. Keepers hand-raise the chicks so they are used to being around people and can be hand-fed fish at our daily talks.


AG:How did the name "Featherdale" come about?

Ans. Featherdale was originally a Chicken farm, hence the name “Feather”. We now house many different species of birds, so the name remained.


AG:Which type of animal is popular with your visitors? And why?

Ans. Most international visitors to Featherdale enjoy meeting our Koalas, Emus, Wombats, Kangaroos, Penguins and Dingoes; however with over 300 different animal species at Featherdale, there is something for everyone to enjoy.


AG:Does your wildlife park has any plans for extension/upgrading works in the immediate future?

Ans. Featherdale is always renovating and updating to improve the quality of our animal’s lives and the pleasure of our visitors’ experiences. We are currently upgrading our Kiosk, and recently our staff completed building brand new Quoll enclosures.


AG:Do you have a lab to conduct research an experiments on animals? Any special programs to increase the population of endangered species?

Ans. No we do not have a lab for experiments. We do DNA testing on our animals for our breeding programs to ensure genetic diversity. We have many breeding programs at Featherdale, for endangered species including Woma Pythons, Koalas, Dingos, Cassowaries and many more.


AG:What animal do you think is the hardest to breed among all the other animals on your wildlife park?

Ans. Echidnas and Wombats would have to be 2 of the most difficult to breed, due to their mating rituals, which are difficult to accommodate for.


AG:Do baby koalas eat eucalyptus leaves when they are small too? Or they feed on milk? Give us more information about what baby koalas feed on. And if they drink milk,How many litres do they drink a day?


Ans. When Koala joeys are born they latch onto their mother’s teat inside her pouch, and they drink milk. The amount of milk increases as they grow bigger, until they wean off their mother’s milk completely. At approximately 9 months of age, they leave the pouch and ride on their mother’s back. Here they eat their mother’s poo, which is called Pap. They eat Pap because Eucalyptus leaves are toxic and their stomachs are not strong enough to digest the leaves safely. Pap contains microscopic things called “Gut Flora”, which protect the Joey’s stomach when digesting. Once their stomachs are strong enough, they can then feed on Eucalyptus leaves.



Animal Girl Magazine (AGM) 2012

The Featherdale Interview with Tahnee Barnes!

Look what AGM asked Tahnee! Tahnee loves all the animals at Featherdale Wildlife Park,especially Mikey and Hippy! Being a education program coordinator might not be easy,but Tahnee told us she loves her job very much!

AG:How long have you been operating Featherdale Wildlife Park for?

Ans. Featherdale Wildlife Park has been in operation for 40 years this year.


AG:What is the animals population in the wildlife park?

Ans. 2,200 animals from more than 300 Australian species.


AG:Which type of animal is the hardest to maintain? Why?

Ans. Each animal has its own specific requirements. For example, Koala food takes 6 hours to collect each day, and must collected every day of the year; during breeding seasons certain animals require dramatic increases in food and browse; our crocodile enclosure contains water pools that must be heated.


AG:In the event any animals in your wildlife park require any emergency medical attention, how do you deal with such situations?

Ans.We have qualified keepers who are able to provide first aid, and an off-site veterinarian is available for all emergencies.


AG:Does your wildlife park have any operation theatre/facilities to deal with such emergencies?

Ans. We have a quarantine holding area and vet block facility to care for injured animals. Medication is also administered here.


AG: Why not tell us about famous animals?

Ans. “Fatso” the wombat featured on a long running television series “A Country Practice”; “Rex” the Echidna featured on underwear commercials known as ‘sick ‘em rex’

AG:Where did you get those amazing animals from?

Ans. All Featherdale Wildlife Park’s animals are obtained through our many successful breeding programs, as well as through trading with other zoos and wildlife parks.


AG:How many wildlife specialists and staff do you have?

Ans. We have over 30 qualified keepers at Featherdale Wildlife Park. In total we have 90 staff employed at Featherdale Wildlife Park + 10 volunteers.


AG:What is the rate of casualties of your marine life annually?

Ans. Our collection consists of primarily land-based animals. Most animals in captivity will live longer than they would in the wild where predation by other species and disease cannot be controlled. Our animals are very well cared for at Featherdale Wildlife Park and generally live to a good age.


AG:Do you have any rescue program for any injured or trapped animals in the wild?

Ans. We receive many native animal donations from the public each year. Where animals cannot be released back into the wild, we try to find another home for them.


AG:So tell us more about the enclosures and animals there.

Ans. All Featherdale Wildlife Park enclosures are specifically designed and built according the species that is to be housed. We follow strict guidelines from the Exhibited Animal Protection Act (EAPA), and ensure the highest quality and safety for each and every enclosure and animal. We do our best to recreate each animal’s natural environment, as well as their diet. Where possible we have housed 2 or more species together that are naturally found in the same habitat, but are able to live harmoniously.


AG:Do the animals seem to like their enclosures?

Ans. Our enclosures are maintained to very high standards. Enrichment is provided to animals on a regular basis in order to keep them happy and healthy.


AG:Are there any young animals in the zoo?

Ans. We breed many animals at Featherdale Wildlife Park each year. Some species include Koalas, Wallabies, Penguins, White-browed Wood Swallows and Black-headed Pythons.


AG:How do you get your animal food? (The food that your kangaroos eat, etc)

Ans. We source all food from local suppliers so that the food is always of the highest quality when it reaches our animals.


AG:Which animal is most productive in your wildlife park?

Ans. Adeline, could you please define what you mean by productive? E.g. best breeders? Most popular with visitors? Etc...


AG:How many times do you feed the animals a day? And normally at what times?

Ans. At least 1-2 times a day, depending on the individual dietary requirements of each animal, and/or if it is being hand-raised or is in breeding season.


AG:Do you give animals the same food every day? If yes, won't they get sick of it?

Ans. No, but there is a staple part to every diet for consistency in fats, minerals, calcium, vitamins etc...


AG:If we found an injured animal, what should we do?

Ans. The first aid actions for animals are quite similar to that of treating a human. First ensure you and the animal are safe from any surrounding danger, then try to assess what condition the animal is in e.g. is it unconscious, bleeding, broken bones etc... Use personal protective equipment such as rubber gloves, towels and carry packs to put the animal in a secure and safe hold, and then take the animal to the nearest veterinarian or wildlife park.


AG:Does Featherdale Wildlife Park receives any subsidy from the government?(If not, who pays for the vet bills?)

Ans. We receive minimal funding from the government and rely instead on visitors to the park.


AG:Do you have any advice for AG readers looking to get into a career similar to your own?

Ans. You need to find a start- e.g. volunteering, studying; and then let your passion and enthusiasm expand your career from there.

AG: Which animal is most productive in your wildlife park?

Ans. We have very successful breeding programs for Koalas, as well as our Wallabies, Kangaroos and Quolls.


AG:How does a penguin breed? (Or how do you breed baby penguins?)

Ans. A Penguin is a bird species, and therefore lays eggs. The incubation period is 35 days, and the parents take turns incubating the eggs. At Featherdale our chicks are raised by their parents for the first 3 weeks, and then hand-raised by keepers. Keepers hand-raise the chicks so they are used to being around people and can be hand-fed fish at our daily talks.


AG:How did the name "Featherdale" come about?

Ans. Featherdale was originally a Chicken farm, hence the name “Feather”. We now house many different species of birds, so the name remained.


AG:Which type of animal is popular with your visitors? And why?

Ans. Most international visitors to Featherdale enjoy meeting our Koalas, Emus, Wombats, Kangaroos, Penguins and Dingoes; however with over 300 different animal species at Featherdale, there is something for everyone to enjoy.


AG:Does your wildlife park has any plans for extension/upgrading works in the immediate future?

Ans. Featherdale is always renovating and updating to improve the quality of our animal’s lives and the pleasure of our visitors’ experiences. We are currently upgrading our Kiosk, and recently our staff completed building brand new Quoll enclosures.


AG:Do you have a lab to conduct research an experiments on animals? Any special programs to increase the population of endangered species?

Ans. No we do not have a lab for experiments. We do DNA testing on our animals for our breeding programs to ensure genetic diversity. We have many breeding programs at Featherdale, for endangered species including Woma Pythons, Koalas, Dingos, Cassowaries and many more.


AG:What animal do you think is the hardest to breed among all the other animals on your wildlife park?

Ans. Echidnas and Wombats would have to be 2 of the most difficult to breed, due to their mating rituals, which are difficult to accommodate for.


AG:Do baby koalas eat eucalyptus leaves when they are small too? Or they feed on milk? Give us more information about what baby koalas feed on. And if they drink milk,How many litres do they drink a day?


Ans. When Koala joeys are born they latch onto their mother’s teat inside her pouch, and they drink milk. The amount of milk increases as they grow bigger, until they wean off their mother’s milk completely. At approximately 9 months of age, they leave the pouch and ride on their mother’s back. Here they eat their mother’s poo, which is called Pap. They eat Pap because Eucalyptus leaves are toxic and their stomachs are not strong enough to digest the leaves safely. Pap contains microscopic things called “Gut Flora”, which protect the Joey’s stomach when digesting. Once their stomachs are strong enough, they can then feed on Eucalyptus leaves.

The Featherdale Family!

The Featherdale Family can be cuddly,scaly,feathery and more- but most importantly,they belong to Featherdale. Check out these photos we found! Aww! AGM still remembered last September 2011- Erin McNaught posed with a baby koala called Allira. Did you remember Erin?

Erin McNaught is the Ambassador for September's Save the Koala Month and she recently launched the Cuddles for Koalas campaign with a CSA shot at Sydney Wildlife World, at Darling Harbour.

“My dad used to work in sustainable forestry and growing up, we had a 'No Tree No Me' sticker on our car so I was thrilled when the Australian Koala Foundation asked me to be Ambassador for Save the Koala Month 2011," Ms McNaught said.

Aww!

Mikey And Hippy's True Story.

AGM asked Tahnee about Mikey and Hippy's names came from."Mikey was already named when I arrived at Featherdale, but normally a keeper will name our koalas. I named Hippy because 'hippies' are people who love trees, and Hippy loves trees. Mikey was born at Featherdale, and Hippy was donated by a member of the public when she was found slightly injured in the wild. She is ok now. You will be able to meet both of them in the Koala sanctuary!" Wow! AGM are close friends with Tahnee,Mikey and Hippy! They are the best! We hope that we can make a photo of them saying "Best Friends Forever" and post it on our blog!

Tahnee,Mikey and Hippy from Featherdale Wildlife Park!

Tahnee Barnes,the education program coordinator of Featherdale Wildlife Park,told Animal Girl Magazine secrets she never told any other people! As we promised,here is a photo of her,Mikey and Hippy! From her latest updates,Hippy is still helping her to educate children and Mikey is still a cheeky little boy! Aww! Anyway,stay tuned for the interview and hope you like the photo! :)

Anyone for Lettuce?

Crazy about dugongs? Animal Girl Magazine comes down private with Sophie Palka and find out more about dugongs at Sydney Aquarium. Here's what we found out: Pig and Wuru,were orphans! They were found bring washed-up in different beaches in Queensland.Pig,a 12 year old male dugong were separated from his mother at a very young age and was found in Forrest Island,North Queensland.Wuru,a 6 year old female dugong was also separated by her mother and was found washed up at Emu Park,near Rockhampton. Pig was released back into the wild after a period of rehabillation but was found washed up again.So a decision was made NOT to release him again for fears he wouldn't survive in the wild.Both dugongs were raised to be juveniles at Sea World on the Gold Coast. They now reside at Sydney Aquarium! Awww!! So sweet! They rat alot of lettuces and stay tuned for the secret of what their "human friend" who works there,Andrew Barnes wrap into their lettuceses!!

Featherdale Fever? 

Featherdale Fever?Too obsessed with Featherdale Wildlife Park? Well,today is your lucky day!! Tahnee Barnes,Featherdale Wildlife Park's Education Program Coordinator volunteered to be interview by Animal Girl Magazine! She even sent a photo of her,Hippy and Mikey!No one seen it before,shhh!!!Hi,Mikey!:) Stay tuned for the photo!! I'll upload it when I use my computer:) Millions of Love, Adeline:)