Happy New Year!

OK, guess which Christmas cookie no one wanted to eat?!?!?!

Merry Christmas from Bundaleer!

Bundaleer would like to wish all his mates a very Merry Christmas!

He also hopes 2012 will bring everyone plenty of peaceful habitat filled with healthy, tasty gum trees!

Ahhh, the simple dreams of a koala!

::

P.S. Bundaleer's secret wish is that all his mates can learn more about the Koala Hospital that nursed him back to health! Keep an eye out for the new National Geographic documentary featuring this special Australian hospital just for koalas.

Click here to find out more! Nat Geo Wild Koala Documentary

Bundaleer, Christmas 2011

Bundaleer Survives Irene... and Moves On

It's something that koalas don't like to have to do. But they do it anyway. They survive!

They brace themselves, nestle into trees, protect the little ones, and ride out the storm as best they can. Well, yes, much like the rest of us really.

Here is Bundaleer taking stock of some damage done by Hurricane Irene at his local park in Greenwich, CT.

Of course, no koala ever likes to see a fallen tree. However, in this storm, many more trees here remained standing than were toppled so Bundaleer didn't fret too much about this particular one. Still it was a big, old tree with history, so that gave the young koala some pause...

Happily though, Bundy's osprey friends, as well as the colorful harbor boats, made it safely through the storm! Bundaleer guessed that they, like he, had quite natural ways to endure unexpected high waters. (Did you know that nearly all koalas can swim when they have to -- without any lessons whatsoever?!)

And so that leaves young Bundaleer, thankfully, in good general stead, waiting for his next adventure. He actually has an inkling of what his next adventure might be. Do you?

Koala Clings On, Endures Irene

You may agree this is not the best picture of Bundaleer. The lighting is awkward... the picture not crisp. But consider the larger conditions.

The wind outdoors was howling. Hurricane Irene was snapping trees in half like baby carrots. Rivers were raging. And power outages had brought the mood of camping right into the home.

So who can blame tiny Bundaleer for clinging to a bonsai tree during the hurricane's height? He needed reassurance that not everything was going to blow away!

However, while the rest of the east coast was yearning for electricity, Bundaleer warmly welcomed the dim lighting. This is much better for sleeping, he thought!

But still, Bundy wondered how his favorite places were faring near the water... What about the boats, the ospreys and all the little animals he hadn't met yet?

It was this last particular cloud of worry that made it hard for even Bundaleer to fall asleep on the night of Hurricane Irene...

Bundy Savors Local Beauty Before Irene Hits

It was not this week's East Coast earthquake that rattled the nerves of our friend, Bundaleer. No, he climbed atop the nearest tree immediately, and enjoyed the gentle rolling ride!

But hurricanes and trees are not the best of friends. And this is why our friend Bundaleer now finds himself a little bit nervous. And so...

...yesterday Bundy and his support crew drove to nearby Greenwich Point to observe the seaside park at its summer peak.

Bundaleer could not fathom that within 24 hours, the plentiful green leaves could turn brown, and elegant boats might be strewn across the beach.

Holding a compass, Bundaleer tried to figure out which direction was southeast. Forecasters had predicted winds might come most fiercely from that direction...

Bundaleer was puzzled why so many nice boats were still afloat in the water. Irene would be here in 24 hours! Didn't the boat owners want to protect their nice boats? Poor boats!

And then there was the huge osprey nest located on the inlet. (Can you see it? Double-click to enlarge the picture!) Oh no, thought Bundaleer! It might get blown to smithereens! Where will the ospreys take shelter?

Bundaleer frowned, which koalas do not like to do, and pondered all of this as he gazed at a sandbar's silhouette. It was possible that the sandbar might not even be there after Irene. Bundaleer felt sad...

But still, the small koala with a big heart was glad he had come to the park. Life is supposed to be full of peaks and valleys, Bundaleer reassured himself, and today had been a pretty peak!

Bundaleer vowed to hold tightly onto these beautiful images in his mind, even when the winds were sure to be howling soon enough outside his window.

I saw the green, I loved the green, the green will come back next year... he kept repeating to himself gently.

This is Bundaleer reporting live from Greenwich Point, on Long Island Sound, in Connecticut.