Trish Prendergast is the owner of Coothara, a property located approximately 25km north of Townsville. The property is a dedicated wildlife sanctuary and a residence. It is Trish’s intent to continue to use the property to rehabilitate native wildlife. Trish is a senior veterinary nurse as well as the reptile coordinator for NQ Wildlife, and she is currently building a large staging pen which will be used as an enclosed flight aviary and for soft release.
Coothara covers 2.02 hectares of eucalypt woodland with a large dam and a creek which provides a vital water source for local wildlife. Vegetation includes a wide variety of eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus spp.), secas (Stylosanthes spp.) and native grasses.
The sanctuary provides important habitat for an abundance of wildlife including agile wallabies (Macropus agilis), brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis), eastern long-necked (Chelodina longicollis) and short-necked (Elseya spp.) turtles and many types of frogs. Myriad birdlife also call Coothara home including whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna spp.), eastern rosellas (Platycercus eximius), ibis (Threskiornis moluccus), spoonbills (Platalea spp.), jabirus (Jabiru mycteria), wood ducks (Chenonetta jubata), cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis), greater egrets (Ardea alba), pacific bazas (Aviceda subcristata), bush stone-curlews (Burhinus grallarius), masked plovers (Vanellus miles) and laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae). The property is also a known breeding site for barking owls (Ninox connivens).
