CS Koala climbing in tree
11 ft


Gv bushfire through bush
14 ft


another scene running bush
16 1/2 ft


tilt up flaming trees
19 ft


ground shot scrub
20 1/2 ft


camper with fire alight see koala 23
25 1/2 ft


another poster cigarette with koala that starts fire
27 1/2 ft


sign in cage this home of smoke the koala
30 ft


smokey in trunk in cage
34 ft


cs smokey
36 1/2 ft


cs sketch of smokey
40 ft


ms girl sketching
42 1/2 ft


mcs koala munching leaves
46 1/2 ft


cs sketching claws
48 1/2 ft


cs bird who's sketching
50 ft


mls smokey climbs from perch
55 1/2 ft


map of original koala pop mid dissolve 58 1/2 the verge of extinction dissolve 62 1/2 to koala preservation 45 to 63
65 1/2 ft


cs koala in tree baby playing
74 ft


baby chases mother on her back 77
80 1/2 ft


mls mother and bub on tree
82 ft


cs koala
83 ft


another koala
84 1/2 ft


baby crawls over mother's hand
87 ft


ms koala on limb
89 1/2 ft


pan over trees
94 ft


ms koala in eaten tree
95 ft


two shots bare limbs
98 ft


mls jeep and trailer with leaves
104 1/2 ft


koala in tree watching
106 ft


man throws branches into compound
109 1/2 ft


man takes branches
114 1/2 ft


mls but leaves into racks around tree tilt up tree
125 1/2 ft


cs koala in tree
131 ft


koala rushes over branches
135 ft


ms man after koala
137 ft


hand mauling koala
144 ft


ca man waits
146 ft


koala on ladder
154 ft


cs koala on limb
155 1/2 ft


man lifts koala off ladder
161 ft


gv trees
162 1/2 ft


Halstrom feeding muck to koala
165 ft


cs shoving it down koala's beck
169 ft


cs halstrom
171 ft


another feeding koala fights
174 1/2 ft


mls man puts koala in box second koala into box 178 pick up 183 1/2 walk out of frame
185 ft


to opening box to pull out koala that hangs on
191 1/2


man puts koala on tree
193 1/2 ft


anr man takes koala tree on 202 koala climbs off
213 1/2 ft


ca strom
216 ft


koala climbs tree to mate 223
225 ft


pan over leaves cs
227 ft


koala eats leaf
234 1/2 ft



Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: By 1939, man had driven the koala almost to extinction.

The advance of civilisation brought marauding foxes and wild cats - and it brought bushfires.

The koala is an easy victim to the flames - he moves too slowly.

The prevention of bushfires has become the role of the koala in two states of Australia today - New South Wales and South Australia.

Smokey has appeared on television, and at shows. He appears on posters and leaflets. Preparations are already under way for the campaign this summer. Working on the poster sketch is Miss Margaret Davies, an artist with the Department of Agriculture.

That there are koalas to sketch today is a qualified tribute to the public conscience that was stirred to action, if belatedly. The story of the fluctuating koala population is simple. Even sixty years ago, their numbers were considerable.

By 1939 the numbers had shrunk from several millions to a few thousand. Extinction seemed inevitable, until the Preservation Scheme can into operation.

The koala is now given a fighting chance of survival. There are still many problems. The koala is a slow breeder, usually breeding in alternate years. In its natural state, there are few that will reach middle age, let alone old age.

He is extremely susceptible to disease.

A further problem is diet; the food range is restricted to about a dozen eucalypts.

Each animal eats two and a half pounds of gum leaves every day. At Sir Edward Hallstrom's Reserve at Mona Vale in Sydney, supplementary feeding is used to provide a full and proper diet.

By providing the type of leaves the animals prefer the breeder ensures the safety of the koala. In its natural state, a koala will, if necessary, eat leaves outside its normal range.

The result is often fatal.

Most of the koalas for the re-stocking and establishment reserves in New South Wales are bred here at Mona Vale. Its a centre, too, for studying the life and habits of the koala.

By nature, the koala is an inoffensive solitary; but he does resent interference.

They had to catch one female, and a male. It was an operation demanding luck as well as skill.

Every koala on the reserve is regularly checked to ensure it is in good condition. Sir Edward Halstrom himself keeps a close watch on the animal's health.

Sir Edward has been prominent in the fight to save the koala.

Two koalas were being transferred to a new home on a reserve being developed at Cowan just north of Sydney.

A male and a female made the trip.

They will be guarded in their new home by the New South Wales Bauna Protection Board. A close watch must be kept on the New South Wales and Queensland Koala as they are more susceptible to disease than their Victorian counterpart, and are less numerous.

The koala population is slowly mounting. According to men like Mr. Strom, Chief Guardian of Fauna, the worst of the crisis is over.

And more eucalypts are being planted continually to help keep Australia's koala alive.

Each animal eats two and a half pounds of gum leaves every day. At Sir Edward Hallstrom's Reserve at Mona Vale in Sydney, supplementary feeding is used to provide a full and proper diet.