Seized Wildlife Park Koala Dies

[Steve]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02...mp;section=news

One of the eight koalas removed by the RSPCA from Gunnedah's Waterways Wildlife Park is dead.

The news was faxed to the offices of law firm Slater & Gordon, which is representing the park's owners Nancy and Colin Small, late yesterday.

The two-line statement, from RSPCA lawyers Smythe Wozniak, did not specify why the animal was destroyed, nor who performed the procedure.

The Gunnedah-based lawyer for the park's owners, Peter Long, says the information is disturbing.

"These are koalas that on all of the evidence available left Gunnedah in good health," he said.

"This koala is now dead with a coat that was just looking so fabulously healthy and we're just mystified why anybody would want to put down a koala 22 days later."

Local vet David Amos conveyed the news to Nancy Small, who says she is sad, but not surprised, and would like the dead koala returned.

"Yes, I was thinking I would like her back just to dig a hole and put her in the garden, like I did with my old dog," she said.

Slater & Gordon will today write to the RSPCA asking for further and better particulars concerning the animal's death.

The CEO of the RSPCA New South Wales says his understanding is that the koala that was euthanased was elderly.

Steven Coleman says the animal was not expected survive for long after it was removed.

He says a post-mortem will be carried out today.

[WreckitWhippet]

Hardly surprising given they've managed to kill dogs in their care, return animals to owners in poor health despite being in good health when seized.

For all creatures great and small.... what a joke that it.

[MissMolly]

Oh how sad.. Maybe they should have left it at the park and it would still be living it's days out in familar surroundings..

Really who do they think they are that they can just decide to put down an animal because they feel it is right..

Now I can understand in some cases, but the owners are saying it was in good health, now this....

[WreckitWhippet]

It probably was in good health, but we've all seen the RSPCA goons in action. They can't even catch a bloody sheep without stressing it, I can only imagine how skilled they are when it comes to Koala's and their management.

Sadly, give them another couple of weeks and they will have managed to kill the rest or get them into such a state where they will need to be destroyed too.

[whippets]

Oh how sad.. Maybe they should have left it at the park and it would still be living it's days out in familar surroundings..

Really who do they think they are that they can just decide to put down an animal because they feel it is right..

Now I can understand in some cases, but the owners are saying it was in good health, now this....

They are the RSPCA. They can do what they want....

More like a bunch of clueless cowboys that live off the donations of deceased estates from rich old lonely people.

[smooch]

RSPCA have a lot to answer for in this case, this poor Koala has lived all its life with Nancy and to have its life ended like this away from its mum. Nancy and Colin have looked after the Koala's like they would their own children. So sad.

RIP poor little