Crabapple the Tawny Frogmouth
Crabapple the Tawny Frogmouth
Visitors to the hospital are always inquisitive about what types of animals are commonly admitted and why. The most popular seem to be the koalas, but the other animal we see almost every other day here is the Tawny Frogmouth. For those of you unfamiliar with this nocturnal bird, Tawny Frogmouths are classified with nightjars; not owls as most people assume.
Lately, we have seen an average of 20 Tawny Frogmouths admitted per month. This is largely due to them being hit by cars on the roads. Other reasons can be that they've been attacked by dogs and cats or predated on by other wild animals. It is quite common for members of the general public from Brisbane through to the Sunshine Coast to pick injured Tawnys up off the side of the road and drop them off to us for treatment. Otherwise, if they are in the local area, our Rescue Vehicle can go out to collect them.
This week, however, we had an admission of a different kind which we found quite interesting. A member of the public came across a Tawny on the side of the road while driving in Caboolture (that's not the different bit!). The difference in this case was that he noticed two toad legs sticking out of its mouth! Everyone knows toads are poisonous and apart from crows and Keelback Snakes, not many animals survive after consuming them. This poor Tawny was rushed into the Hospital to be seen by Dr Amber and Vet Nurse Kia. Their first task was to remove what was left of the toad to avoid further consumption by ‘Crabapple' (which is the name the girls chose for him). Following that, three charcoal tablets were administered to absorb any toxins that remained his belly. Next he went in for x-rays to make sure he had no internal injuries and with the all-clear, went into intensive care for the night. The next day he went home with a wildlife carer for rest and was successfully released the following afternoon. It's great to hear a happy end to this Tawny's misadventure, and we hope Crabapple is happy and stays away from toads from now on!
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