Australia Zoo's newest volunteer, Zac Sutton, has a passion for all things reptilian! To celebrate his birthday and Australia Zoo's greenest day of the year, Zac began his personal contribution to wildlife through the Zoo's Volunteer Program.

St Patrick's Day not only coincided with Zac's 16th birthday, but marked eight years to the day that he met Steve Irwin - the man he says inspired him from a young age to one day work with wildlife.

"I've been coming to Australia Zoo since I was four-years-old and my education about wildlife has come from visits to the Zoo when I was young and watching all of Steve's documentaries on TV," Zac said.

"Steve had so much enthusiasm and passion for wanting to save wildlife and I really look up to him.

"There's no other place I'd like to work with animals than at Australia Zoo so I'm thrilled to have been given this opportunity as a volunteer."

As an Animal Volunteer, Zac will get hands on experience assisting our Zoo Keepers with food preparation, animal enrichment, and keeping the enclosures in tip top condition by sweeping, hosing, raking, and of course, poop patrol!

Aside from football, caring for his own snakes and upcoming volunteer work, Zac is keen to continue spreading the messages about conservation, in particular the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York. Like the Croc Hunter himself, Zac aspires to one day work with the crocs.

"I'm in the process of collecting petition signatures to Save Steve's Place and plan to alert people to the fact that if a 16-year-old school kid can make a difference, then we all can make a difference," he said.

"I'm really interested in croc research and want to do my bit by educating people about protecting them, just like Steve did."

Australia Zoo is sad to announce the passing of one of our oldest friends, Mr Freshie.

At an estimated 140-years-old, our resident Fresh Water Crocodile lived one heck of a life before he retired to the peaceful ponds and lush green surrounds of Australia Zoo.

Almost 40 years ago, Steve Irwin and his dad, Bob, travelled to Moorehead River in north Queensland to rescue a severely wounded male Freshwater Crocodile.

Mr Freshie, a harmless reptile, had received two severe bullet wounds; one to his tail and the other to his right eye. His eye was blinded and his tail was badly injured.

While preparing to rescue Mr Freshie, Steve and his dad discovered that this was no ordinary croc. In fact, Mr Freshie was considered a sacred creature to a local tribe of Aborigines.

The tribe told the Irwin's a remarkable story about the male Freshwater Crocodile; how several generations had watched Mr Freshie roam the local waterways for 100 years!

Mr Freshie was transported to Australia Zoo for treatment and rehabilitation. It wasn't long before this gentle reptile became a much-loved Zoo resident.

With his girlfriend Blondie by his side, Mr Freshie spent the rest of his days enjoying life at Australia Zoo. He lived in a large pond, ate scrumptious food, and enjoyed lots of love and admiration from his keepers. Despite his age, Mr Freshie had a great appetite and a skip in his step; he didn't look a day over 80!

Farewell Mr Freshie - you will be missed.

Sadly, many Freshwater Crocodiles, like Mr Freshie, are shot without cause. Freshwater Crocodiles are harmless reptiles. There has never been a human fatality; they don't attack people.

Shooting wild crocodiles is inhumane. An injured croc can submerge, and hold its breath for hours. It can take months of suffering for a bullet-wounded crocodile to die.

Tail-walking in our daily crocodile demonstrations is not a new thing. Just as they would in the wild, Australia Zoo's Saltwater Crocs have done it forever! Some are better than others, but all of our male Saltwater Crocodiles love to tail-walk for their food. All except Munga, that is.

From day one, Munga has been a cracker! His strikes are explosive, and he will chase the croc team across the stage with no interest in the food. His demos are captivating and amazing to watch; but until recently, Munga did not tail-walk.

Typically, crocs instinctively know how to tail-walk. In the wild, they begin tail-walking as hatchlings to snap frogs and insects from branches above the water. As adults, crocs tail-walk to catch birds, flying foxes and other small mammals as they sit in trees hanging over the water.

In the wild, Munga would instinctively tail-walk. But in the Crocoseum, our boy did not think to look up for his food at the feeding ramp. Instead he would wait for the food to be offered at the water's edge.

The croc team persisted with Munga; encouraging him to tail-walk with his favourite food - chicken on a string!

At first his favourite food wasn't enough to entice Munga out of the water. The croc team tried splashing the food around in the water and dangling in front of his nose. Finally it clicked! Munga burst out of the water tail-walking to grab the chicken.

Since then, Munga tail-walks in every demo, and continues to improve each time.

Next time you're at Australia Zoo watching the magnificent Munga in action, keep your eyes peeled for his ripper tail-walk! With this milestone, Munga is truly a superstar at the Zoo!

In a bid to save endangered marine life, the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit have joined in conservation efforts on remote northern Australian beaches, to rescue and rehabilitate the victims of marine debris.

Australia Zoo Rescue Unit coordinator Brian Coulter and team member Kate Winter travelled to far north Queensland and assisted in the conservation efforts of clearing marine debris from beaches, and assisting local rangers with wildlife rescues.

"Members of the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit were able to help out local rangers by patrolling beaches south of Weipa, and removing nets and other debris that had been washed ashore," said Brian.

"It was concerning to see the amount of marine debris that was both washed up and that had wildlife entangled in it."

Marine debris poses a huge threat to marine wildlife around the world. Plastic containers, shipping equipment and general rubbish, with discarded fishing nets, known as ghost nets, pose a significant threat to wildlife due to their ability to capture and entangle marine wildlife.

"We surveyed an area of beach around about 30km long, and counted about 137 ghost nets on the beach and water's edge," said Brian.

"Ghost nets are blown from above northern Australia by the north westerly monsoon, with Flatback, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles being the most common marine wildlife in this area to suffer severe injuries or drown as a result of these entanglements."

"Land and sea rangers from Mapoon and Napranum were able to rescue many critically endangered Olive Ridley and Flatback Turtles, which had been entangled."

"With thanks to Qantas, we were able to fly five of these guys back for specialised treatment."

One Flatback and four Olive Ridley turtles all required surgery due to injuries sustained from entanglements, and are receiving treatment at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors - Australian Wildlife Hospital. The turtles will be rehabilitated at Australia Zoo prior to being released.

The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit have experienced the effects of marine debris closer to home, having received over 180 calls to tend to sea turtle rescues in 2009, with 17 of these involving fishing gear entanglements.

The Rescue Unit is involved in ongoing turtle research, including the recent tracking of two turtles with amputations, Rafael the Loggerhead and Minka the Green Turtle, as a result of fishing gear entanglements.

The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit operates out of Australia Zoo seven days a week, covering an area from the Sunshine Coast to north Brisbane, west to Kilcoy, and beyond.

Show your support - sponsor the Rescue Unit today! Your contribution will provide essential rescue equipment to ensure the team can provide the best service possible to the animals.

After a warm summer at the Zoo, our cheeky Ring-tailed Lemur troupe revealed their true colours. Green and gold, that is!

The boys spent all summer lazing in the shade, kickin' back in the trees and acting like... typical Aussies!

While the lemurs were happy to sit back and relax for the entire summer, their keepers were busy finding ways to keep them active. And that's like trying to get a bloke off the couch when the footy's on!

The answer? Food!

Ice-blocks with frozen fruit pieces proved to be a great way to keep the lemurs stimulated, active and cool in the heat. And they loved it! Treats like banana, sultanas and grapes, wrapped in leaf parcels, were favorites among the lemurs as they hung-out in the shade.

Their luxury enclosure is fitted with water sprinklers to cool-down the area in the heat of the day. This worked a treat! The boys were motivated, more active and playing together in the trees.

Lemurs are found on Madagascar Island, off the south-east coast of Africa. Their natural habitat is rainforests and bush-lands, so the temperatures are very similar to here in Queensland.

If you would like to hang out with our gorgeous lemurs, check out our ripper Leapin' Lemur encounter! Lemurs Rule!

Birds around the Zoo were squawking to the tune of ‘Happy Birthday' this week, to mark our cheeky macaw's special milestone. Queto, the Blue-and-gold Macaw, celebrated his sixth birthday on Saturday with all his favourite feathered friends.

There was no chocolate cake or fairy bread, but our bird keepers spoiled the birthday boy with his favourite fruits, nuts and scrumptious berries!

Queto is one of Australia Zoo's star macaws. He is magnificent to look at, brilliant at flying in the Crocoseum, and even better at meeting guests and posing for cameras. But Queto hasn't always been so well behaved.

Like most boys (and men), it took a beautiful macaw girl called Skylah, to tame the mischievous Queto. Before he met the love of his life, Queto would team up with Peppe in the Crocoseum show to embark on adventures around the Zoo and beyond.

Skylah has transformed Queto into a very responsible and wise macaw. But she can't let him out of her sight. The second Queto is ‘out with the boys', he's ready to run a muck!

Sound familiar?

Despite their best efforts, the other macaws have no chance at behaving if Queto is flying with them. A very intelligent boy, Queto will try every trick in the book to encourage the others to join him on another adventure. If squawking loudly doesn't work, Queto will use his ‘fly kick' manoeuvre to knock them right off their perches and lead them astray!

He may act like he is six going on sixteen, but Queto is still a very young macaw. With a lifespan of up to 70 years, our cheeky boy has many adventurous years ahead of him.

Happy Birthday Queto!

Give Queto a birthday gift - adopt him today!

Australia Zoo's Education Crew would like to invite teachers from far and wide to our inaugural Education Workshop!

The event will showcase our very own ‘Crikey! Curriculum' products and educational resources, giving you an exclusive sneak peak at what's in store for 2010, including the opening of our new Education Centre!

Featuring several guest speakers from Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors, the workshop will provide you with the tools to bring conservation and wildlife into your classroom.

Come along to enjoy morning tea, lunch and a taste of Australia Zoo's educational facilities! Plus you will receive 20% off your 2010 excursion to Australia Zoo!*

Don't miss out - register now!

Email: education@australiazoo.com.au
Phone: 07 5436 2071
Fax: 07 5439 9629

*Booking must be made within 60 days from workshop date.

They are the biggest of the big cats, the ultimate silent hunter and a cultural icon. 2010 is the Year of the Tiger; a time to celebrate one of the most majestic animals on earth. But as we enter the new year, sadness dawns upon us as we realise that tigers could be extinct by 2022 - the next Chinese Year of the Tiger.

Just like your cat at home, tigers are incredibly independent and resilient. They can look after themselves with minimum impact to the world around them. Sadly, their illusive nature does not go unnoticed. Everyday, between one and five tigers die from human interference.

Tiger habitat continues to be destroyed by illegal loggers, forcing them to encroach on farmland and villages where they are captured and shot.

The unrelenting wildlife trade is a major threat to wild tigers. Like many animals, tigers are hunted daily for their fur, bones and other body parts. Thought to have magic healing powers, tiger parts are purchased at a high price for medicinal purposes.

Just 100 years ago, more than 100 000 tigers roamed the forests of Asia; now they are on the verge of extinction.

Tiger populations throughout Asia have declined by 96 per cent, with less than 4000 individuals left in the wild. And with up to five tigers killed everyday, these magnificent creatures will not survive another decade.

As wild tiger numbers decrease, so does their ability to breed. In five years, the gene pool of the remaining tiger population will be so low that they will be unable to re-produce. We need to act now!

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors fight for tiger's everyday. Working closely with work Flora and Fauna international, Wildlife Warriors fund teams of dedicated men patrol the forests of Sumatra in an effort to protect tigers. The work is hard; the days are long, and every minute is dangerous. But each trap they remove and every chainsaw they confiscate is one more step towards saving these majestic creatures. Sadly, it is not enough.

Just how close tigers are to extinction is devastating- but it is not too late. With your help we can give tigers a chance at survival, so they can forever remain, silently and majestically guarding the forests, just as they should be.

Let's make 2010 the year we save tigers from the brink of extinction!

Here's how you can help!

• Spread the message; educate your family and friends about tiger conservation!
• Purchase a ‘tiger 511' wristband from Wildlife Warriors. Your purchase will save one tiger in the wild for one day.
• Book an Australia Zoo Tiger Encounter. Get up-close and personal with one of our tigers. Proceeds go directly towards protecting tigers in the wild.
• Sponsor Australia Zoo's Tiger Conservation Projects. Your money makes it possible for Sumatran Tiger Patrol Units to exist.
• Don't buy products containing tiger bones and body parts. When the buying stops- the killing will too.
• Read labels when travelling.
• Avoid purchasing wood products from countries where tigers inhabit.
• Avoid purchasing food products containing palm oil. Palm oil plantations contribute heavily to the habitat destruction of Sumatran Tigers, orang-utans, Asian Elephants and other endangered animals.

Wildlife Warriors Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin saw the results of their novel fundraising efforts put into action when they released a rehabilitated Green Sea Turtle off the Sunshine Coast yesterday, and will now monitor the turtle's activities via a satellite tracker.

Funds were raised to purchase Minka's tracker by auctioning off wildlife encounters with Terri, Bindi and Robert over a number of days in the Christmas school holiday period.

Australia Zoo's Rescue Unit rescued the turtle, a female named Minka, who was found with a crab pot rope wrapped around one of her flippers. Minka was assessed by vets at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors - Australian Wildlife Hospital, and underwent surgery to amputate the affected flipper.

Prior to Minka's release she was fitted with a satellite tracker, which will enable Australia Zoo, researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) to track her journey and progress.

"This is the second turtle that will take part in this program, following Rafael the Loggerhead Turtle's successful release in June last year," said head of Australia Zoo Rescue Unit, Brian Coulter.

Valentine's Day Silent Auction

Marine life will again be the focus of an auction for a unique wildlife encounter with Terri, Bindi and Robert on Valentine's Day, when their time goes under the hammer to raise funds for Seal Alert-SA, a seal rehabilitation facility in South Africa.

The work undertaken by the privately-funded seal rehabilitation facility touched the hearts of Terri, Bindi and Robert while they were in South Africa in 2009, as they witnessed first-hand the threats faced by seals in this area, and played a part in helping to rescue a vulnerable baby seal. Only a few months old, the pup named Hope by Bindi, was orphaned and dehydrated when found by Bindi, Robert and Terri. Thanks to the care provided by Seal Alert-SA, Hope has made a full recovery, and has been released back into local waters.

With Seal Alert-SA being a privately run, self-funded rehabilitation facility, the money raised through the unique wildlife encounter with Terri, Bindi and Robert will go a long way to assist seals in the area. The unique animal encounter with Terri, Bindi and Robert will be auctioned through a silent auction on Valentine's Day, Sunday 14 February, with the encounter taking place later that day.

By visiting Australia Zoo on Valentine's Day you will also have the chance to win a romantic weekend away for two people through the Major Prize Draw, plus there will be romance in the air with free chocolates and roses.

Despite losing her beautiful joey Doug, our brave koala mum Meryl, has been successfully released back to the wild.

Meryl was admitted to the Australian Wildlife Hospital three weeks ago, together with her joey Doug, for treatment to injuries as a result of being shot with an air rifle on a property at Morayfield.

A single pellet was successfully removed during surgery by vets after an x-ray revealed a slug pellet imbedded in Meryl's leg.

Meryl's joey, Doug, was not so lucky, passing away during emergency surgery three days later to remove two slug gun pellets, one in the chest and one in the abdomen.

Meryl received the best possible treatment at the Australian Wildlife Hospital while recovering from her injuries, and staff have high hopes she will live a prosperous life in the wild again.

"We are extremely glad to have released Meryl back to her home," said Gail Gipp, General Manager at the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

"Her recovery is part of the incredible work that is performed at the hospital, and while every effort was made to save Doug, it is nothing short of the work we put in to save every single patient we receive every single day."

"Every dollar that is donated to the hospital goes straight to where it's needed the most - saving wildlife," Gail continued.

The Australian Wildlife Hospital is the major project of Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors and donations and support from the community is heavily relied upon to help care for patients.

"We received over 6,500 patients for treatment during 2009," Gail said.

"This year, we expect that number to increase again, but the level of care and treatment to all patients will always remain the best there is."

Donations are being sought to help treat and care for patients like Meryl and Doug at the Australian Wildlife Hospital.

Call Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors on 1800 334 350 or visit www.wildlifewarriors.org.au to make a life saving donation today. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

The Department of Environment and Resource Management is investigating the incident. Anyone with information should call DERM on 1300 130 372, or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

It's against the law to harm koalas - the maximum penalty is $300,000 or two years imprisonment.