Lulu Bell and the Koala Joey Read Free Page B

for a moment longer. Then she began to scramble up the trunk. As her forepaws reached forthe trunk, Lulu noticed that the koala was injured.
    â€˜Oh, no!’ cried Lulu. She crept over. The mother koala had a graze on her arm. She had stopped in a low fork of the tree.
    â€˜Mum! Dad!’ called Lulu, loud enough to wake everyone. ‘Come quickly. I think the koala is hurt.’
    Soon everyone came running. They gathered around the tree and looked up at the koalas.
    â€˜Stand back, everyone,’ said Dad. ‘We don’t want to frighten her.’
    Everyone stepped back.
    â€˜What do you think is wrong with her?’ asked Lulu. ‘Do you think she might have been hurt when the trees were knocked over next door?’
    â€˜I’m not sure, but it seems likely,’ replied Dad. ‘I’ll need to take a closer look.’
    The koala tried to climb higher but she moved quite slowly. She looked down at the humans.
    â€˜Lulu and Zac, can you fetch some towels and a washing basket from the laundry, please?’ asked Dad. ‘And take Asha with you. I want the dogs locked away just in case.’
    Lulu took Asha away. She called for Jessie and led both dogs into the laundry. She found a big armload of towels. Zac carried a white plastic washing basket. They shut the laundry door then ran back outside.
    Mum helped Lulu to make a nest of towels in the bottom of the washing basket. It was soft and warm.
    Dad took one of the towels. He approached the mother koala from behind so she couldn’t see him.He carefully placed the towel over both koalas and lifted them into the washing basket. The koalas squirmed.

    â€˜It’s all right,’ said Dad to the mother koala. ‘We’ll soon fix you up.’
    Dad examined her wounded foreleg. It looked sore.
    â€˜She needs specialist treatment,’ said Dad. ‘There’s a wonderful koala hospital about half an hour away. The staff are experts at treating injured and sick koalas.’
    Dad pulled out his phone. He rang the koala hospital and explained the problem.
    â€˜Great,’ he said. ‘We’ll see you soon.’
    Dad hung up. He picked up the washing basket with the two cuddly animals inside.
    â€˜Let’s go,’ said Dad. ‘Who wants to come along?’

Chapter 7
Koala Hospital
    Zac and Lulu went with Dad while everyone else stayed behind. They sat in the back seat of the car with the washing basket wedged between them. Lulu could hear snuffling and grunting noises coming from under the towel.
    The koala hospital was a long low building surrounded by parkland. In the parkland were several fenced yards with shelters and trees. Sick koalas were kept there until they were well enough to be released back into the wild.
    Dad carried the washing basket towards the office. They were greeted by a woman wearing a khaki uniform and sturdy boots.
    The woman smiled. ‘Hello, I’m Monica. I’m the hospital supervisor.’ She pointed to the basket. ‘And those must be our patients.’
    Dad introduced Lulu and Zac. He explained that they were up on holidays from Shelly Beach.
    â€˜Come inside,’ said Monica. ‘Let me take a look at the koalas.’
    Monica led the way into the treatment room.
    Dad held the mother koala while Monica gently examined her. He explained how and where they had found the koalas.

    â€˜She’s grazed her leg,’ said Monica. ‘But nothing is broken.’
    â€˜Will she be okay?’ asked Lulu.
    Monica listened to the mother koala’s heartbeat with her stethoscope. She smiled at Lulu. ‘The koala will be fine. She’s lucky you found her and brought her in, so we can treat her. Lots of koalas get into trouble when the bush is cleared to build homes for humans.’
    â€˜When the gum trees are cut down, the koalas have nowhere to live,’ said Dad. ‘They may not have enough food, either. They only eat certain kinds of