Brendan came into care with Friends of the Koala on 27 November 2004. He had been hit by a car on the Bruxner Highway east of Alstonville and was seriously injured.

Brendan was transferred to what was then called the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation Koala and Wildlife Hospital at Beerwah and is now the Australian Wildlife Hospital. He was one of the first koalas to be admitted by the Hospital from the Northern Rivers for specialized treatment.

Brendan returned to Lismore on 17 December 2004 after making a good recovery from his injuries. Unfortunately he was blind as a result of the accident. Under the conditions of our licence this meant it was not possible to release him as the chances of a koala surviving in the wild blind are extremely slim.

Brendan took to captivity well which persuaded us to investigate keeping him as a permanent resident of the Friends of the Koala Care Centre. He was young, in good condition and quickly became a favorite with visitors to the Care Centre.

People from many parts of the world got to know Brendan. On several occasions, visitors from overseas asked ‘Which one is Brendan?’ as they came back for a second visit or had heard of him from a friend.

When Brendan first returned from the Hospital he was housed in a large, open enclosure where he could climb quite tall trees. He would go to the very top to sleep. It amazed me that he could  find his way around when he was unable to see.

Each day Brendan was given a supplement of paste. I discovered, that if I slapped the tree trunk, called his name and mentioned the word ‘dinny’ he would scurry down the tree trunk, his little pink tongue darting in and out with excitement and his arm waving around trying to find his food.

Sometimes when Brendan was sound asleep in the treetops, on hearing his name he would look all around and down between his back legs to see where the voice was coming from. Other carers enjoyed  this same experience.

Brendan was very special to me. Like everyone else I have some wonderful memories to tell about ‘my boy.’

One morning several years ago it was time for him to be fed. He was a bit slow coming down so I patted the log he was walking along to encourage him to come closer. He came straight to me and deliberately rubbed his scent gland in a circle over the top of my hand. I felt a bit awkward and embarrassed as koalas rub their scent gland on their territory – I was his!

Circumstances prompted Brendan’s removal from the trees to a more secure enclosure. A wild koala had been breaking into the compound, stealing his leaf and harassing him. This new enclosure became Brendan’s domain and it became easier to observe him.

During last year, Brendan developed a small fungus in the back of his neck. Part of his treatment was to give him a brush which he seemed to enjoy, stretching like a cat. We then had to wash the area with a medicated shampoo. I did this with Natalia Wunsch. We moved him from his enclosure to a well warmed room and shampooed him. The day was a bit chilly so we used a hair dryer to dry him. I thought the noise would frighten him, but no, the warm air must have felt good as he leaned into it – still munching on some leaf of course.

While Brendan overcame the initial fungal infection, this year he developed more on his hands and feet and his mouth became ulcerated. Every effort was made by those who cared for him to help him get better. He responded to medications which made him feel better for a while but it was not to be. Brendan was euthanased at the Australian Wildlife Hospital on 24 April 2009. He was approximately 8 years old.

I will miss his gentle grunts, especially if ‘dinny’ was on and his loud bellowing was something to behold – I called it chortling. He was always the first koala to be attended to in the mornings by all the volunteers and those on the afternoon shifts were equally eager to clean his enclosure first. To have played a part in this koala’s life has been a privilege. He has taught me so much.

Brendan is now in his own peaceful place amongst the gum trees at the Care Centre which had become his home.
—Lola Whitney