An Amazing Voluntary Commitment

My thoughtful husband brought home a tiny baby ring tailed possum late one afternoon last week that he had spotted in the middle of a main country road. I immediately rang one of our wildlife carers in the local area, who was more than happy to take on this helpless, sweet, little animal, stating she already had seven others in her care and this precious possum would fit right in.

I was so relieved, as I do not know the first thing about caring for a possum, or any other native animal for that matter, however I adore animals and want nothing more than to see orphaned, sick or injured creatures survive and return to good health. So I decided to find out more about these, (obviously wonderful) people, who voluntarily choose to give their time and energy to save, heal and return our beautiful native wildlife back to the environment.

Kylie Laing from Venus Bay and Sue Moore from Tarwin Lower are two such wild life rescuers. Both ladies are married, Kylie with two young children and Sue is a proud grandmother of three grandchildren, who visit and stay with her often.

At Sue's shelter there are birds, reptiles and animals everywhere, of all sizes, all types, inside and outside the home in confined areas. Some are sleeping, some are calling for their feed, some sitting quietly, recuperating, relaxed and enjoying their safe, peaceful temporary home. The most surprising and gorgeous animal was a tiny baby koala that Sue suddenly pulled out from under her jumper! I hadn't even noticed she was carrying this precious, little furry ball! She was found sitting at the bottom of a tree in the Sandy Point area wearing a bloody nose. Sadly, it is still unknown whether she will survive, however Sue is giving her all to see that she does.　

Sue began caring for and rescuing wildlife nine years ago, when she found a baby koala.Kylie began caring for and rescuing wildlife nineteen years ago, after she found a baby wombat in Venus Bay.
After initially exploring and researching shelters and what was involved, both women completed their training and gained their 'Wildlife and Rescue' licences.

Each year, the number of animals, birds and reptiles needing assistance increases. This year on average three creatures per week have been taken in and cared for.The amount of work, time, energy and money (no funding for these girls!), that's involved in running a wildlife and rescue shelter on a daily basis is enormous.

There are four hourly feeds around the clock to orphans, daily sanitisation of cages, food shopping, food preparation, night grass picking, extensive washing and transportation to vet appointments or other more appropriately set up shelters. Wildlife carers are typically on call 24 hours a day, having to answer police calls and give advice to the public, as well as driving to reported locations to pick up creatures.

I absolutely admire these beautiful women, who go above and beyond to help our unique wildlife. When tasks seem tough and time or money is lacking, their commitment remains strong. Sue and Kylie both say their love for the animals is their guiding light, and they just do what they can with the resources they have and they get on with it. How inspiring.....

There are many ways you can assist these wonderful carers. They always need help with washing loads of laundry, picking appropriate eucalyptus leaves and sewing simple pouches in various sizes. If you are a retired (or not) tradesman/handyman, you can help by building or maintaining enclosures. Please talk to your local wildlife shelter carers for more ideas. I'm sure they will appreciate your assistance!