28 amazing wildlife encounters

28 amazing wildlife encounters
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Our readers have had some pretty incredible run-ins with members of the animal kingdom. From dodging dingoes and falling frogs to witnessing spectacular whale breaches, nursing native critters back to health and many more, each of these encounters is more memorable and rewarding than the last. Enjoy.

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Whale breach

Whale breach
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“My most memorable wildlife encounter was holidaying in Albany, Western Australia. We were out in the bay in a small tinny when a whale and her calf began to get close to our boat. We moved away, and just a moment later the whale breached completely out of the water in the wake of our boat. It was one of the best things I have ever had the privilege to see.” – Amy Motherwell

A most welcome guest

A most welcome guest
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“I was going out to my car one night when I found the strangest moth moving on the ground. It was flapping about strangely so I bent down and, when I picked it up, I found it was a tiny micro bat. Its mother must have dropped him when catching bugs around the light. I then spent the whole night researching about bats and food and whatever else I could. Seeing as I live in the middle of nowhere, there aren’t a lot of people about that can help – but I had spoken to wildlife groups and had formula ordered and was already madly in love with my guest. He was fed from the tip of a super-fine paintbrush and washed and toileted with cotton balls. To help keep him warm he spent much time down my top next to my skin. He grew bigger and stronger and would respond to my little chitter calls to him.

Sadly, not long before I was due to release him back to the wild, he passed away. But he taught me and so many people in my small town about just how important his kind are in this world. We never knew how many insects they ate helping to keep the bugs down, and where so many hated the bats, they now enjoy them and take a moment to stop and watch them fluttering in and out of the streetlights as they hunt. For such a tiny bit of my life, he left a big mark on my heart.” – Rosie Rose

Dingo danger

Dingo danger
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“This was memorable for not so good reasons. We were camping on Fraser Island. I was 16 at the time and had decided to go for a nature walk from camp over to the beach. After walking for some time I decided I should turn around and head back to camp. On doing this I met with an overly friendly Dingo.

Not thinking much about it at the time and being my first encounter with them, I was intrigued – but kept on walking. But the Dingo kept on walking too! I tried telling it to get lost; no reaction from the Dingo. I then decided to try and move around the Dingo; it kept moving with me, almost mirroring what I was doing. I then tried going into the water, thinking surely the Dingo wouldn’t want to come in. I walked in until the water was over my ankles and the Dingo walked right on in too. It didn’t want me going anywhere!

At this point I became a little distressed but luckily at that exact moment a car driving by saw what was happening and beeped the horn, both in order to get my attention and to scare off the Dingo. I jumped onto the step and held on while the car drove me back up to camp. Safe to say that was the last time I went walking on my own.” – Carla Walker

Echidnas can swim?!

Echidnas can swim?!
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“My most memorable wildlife encounter was when I was at work doing a clean-up along the edge of a stream on our property. It was 30°C+ day and I saw something bobbing up and down coming across the stream. As it got closer I saw it was an echidna. Before that day I hadn’t seen an echidna swimming and didn’t know they did. It was such an exciting and educational experience watching how he swam.” – Hayley Angus

Frogs from the heavens

Frogs from the heavens
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“When I first moved into my semi-rural property, I had tree frogs falling out of the evaporation cooler ceiling vents. Fixing the hole in the ducting solved the problem; now they come in through the toilets. Much more civilised! I think of them as house frogs and even set up a little ‘garden’ for them in the room. Bit noisy when it’s about to rain, but adds atmosphere!” – Sonia Langlais

The grateful kookaburra

The grateful kookaburra
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“Some years ago I found a baby kookaburra in our paddock. He was looking very bedraggled and sorry for himself, and there was no parent around. I thought he had been attacked by magpies. So I made a big box ‘house’ for him, filled with some grass and branches, and a water bowl. He was very quiet for the first day, but then he came out and sat on my shoulder as I walked about the yard. He ate some of the dog’s meat and some insects I managed to find. He stayed with me for about two weeks, and then one day just decided to fly off on his own! I was glad he had recovered and was able to live his life as he should.

About one year later, I was in the yard again, this time hanging out some washing, when this big kookaburra flew down and landed on my shoulder! He was not a bit afraid, and I knew it was him. He sat there for quite a while, and then just flew off up into the trees. That was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. A wild bird came back to say, ‘Thank you for rescuing me.’ Fantastic!” – Averill Robinson

Dancing brolgas

Dancing brolgas
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“I once had the magic moment, in the wild, to be within 20 feet of a pair of magnificent, fully grown, dancing brolgas at Katherine in the Northern Territory. It is a memory I will never forget.” – Amanda Faux

Saved from murder

Saved from murder
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“My most memorable moment is when I saved a baby kingfisher from a murder of crows. I was working security at the mines and it stayed on my shoulders all day.” – Brad Payne

Smart cockatoo

Smart cockatoo
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“I had a cockatoo some years ago that was a great mimic. One day some workmen walked down the side of my house to access the neighbour’s yard and my cockatoo, called Pompey, called out, ‘What do you think you’re doing?” The men could not see his aviary due to a tree being by the side of it. They were very perplexed for some time until I told them who was calling out. Then they saw the funny side. He was a smart cockatoo.” – Terri Bradley

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