Wildcare volunteer Ali Humphreys bottle feeds one of her young charges. More volunteers are needed to help save these young lives. Photo: Wildcare.
Volunteers are needed urgently to help rear young kangaroos and wallabies who would otherwise die in their dead mothers’ pouches on the side of the road.
Volunteer native animal rescue group Wildcare Queanbeyan, which covers southern NSW adjacent to Canberra, is experiencing one of its busiest times of the year, with more kangaroos and wallabies hit on the road.
Spokeswoman Ali Humphreys, from Jerrabomberra, said with more drivers on the road when the kangaroos were most active, at dusk and dawn, more were being hit, with many dying but leaving their live babies in the pouch.
“It can be quite overwhelming at this time of year,” Ali said, “that’s why we’ve put the call-out for more volunteers.”
She said Wildcare covered a vast area, some 22,000 sqkm – from Bredbo to Braidwood, out to Young, Crookwell and Queanbeyan – “and we only have 30 active volunteers for that sort of area,” she said.
“Our volunteers don’t get a lot of sleep,” she joked.
She said volunteers were needed for a variety of tasks, from going on the rescue phone roster once a month to being part of the teams going out to rescue the animals, to caring for the rescued babies at home.
“Yes, it takes a special sort of person to do this, but with volunteers, we just ask them to do what they feel they can do. Newborns need special constant care, with feeds every few hours, but for the older ones, it’s easier to look after them, especially if you work from home or are retired.”
Ali said people who could sew were always needed too, to make pouches out of pillow slips or material for the babies.
So what’s better than saving the life of a tiny joey? Volunteering to save two or more lives. Photo: Wildcare.
“The majority of rescues we go out to are the result of road accidents,” she said. “What we ask people to do is if they see a dead kangaroo on the side of the road, and it doesn’t have a cross on it, if you can stop safely, please do so and contact Wildcare on 6299 1966.
“If you can, it is really important to do a pouch check. Just open the pouch and if there’s a baby inside, gently scoop it out into something like a pillowcase – we recommend people carry them in the car.
“We know it can be very scary and traumatic for people, but if you hit something, the worst thing you can do is keep driving. We have licensed shooters who can give animals a humane death.”
Ali said kangaroos were also being increasingly injured after being caught in fences trying to get away in a hurry.
“It’s become a big thing, especially if a dog gets loose on a farm. If they chase the kangaroo they will panic and that’s when they get caught in fences.”
People interested in becoming a volunteer with Wildcare should email [email protected]
Original Article published by Sally Hopman on Riotact.
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