Thank you to our anonymous donor…

Last week the 5441 6200 Hotline had a surprise call from the office of Minister for Nicklin,
Mr Rob Skelton MP. Some very kind, anonymous person had given them two team signed
AFL guernseys to frame and then give to us for fundraising. So we have one of each from
the Gold Coast Suns and the Brisbane Lions. WILVOS would love to thank the anonymous
donor so we hope that he is an avid reader of the Sunshine Valley Gazette.
It has been good to get video footage of some of the recently released possums enjoying
their freedom. It is still a little sad to look back on the photos of these same animals when
they first came into care, but freedom is the ultimate.
Wildlife can be in care for a considerable time before being released back to their natural
environment. It is not unusual for orphaned animals to be in care for up to a year. In the
past weeks we have had two pairs of Short-eared brushtail possums released back to the
wild in their nestboxes. These possums stay in care for a considerable time, as they do with
their mothers. There is a fine line between releasing too early and keeping them in too
long. If released too early, their instincts just aren’t fully developed. People may talk of size
in relation to release but they need to be psychologically ready as well as physically fit. If
kept in care for too long they are seen, even by their own species, as a threat to food
supply, housing supply and breeding activities. The safety of an aviary can also lead to
complacency and dull their wild instincts. For males especially, this can mean some harsh
penalties are dealt out.
Wishing everyone safe and happy Easter holidays. Don’t forget to retrieve any plastic you
see in the waterways, and chop up any fishing line or baling twine into small pieces so it
can’t entangle our wildlife.
Donna Brennan Wildlife Volunteers Assoc Inc (WILVOS) PO Box 4805 Sunshine Coast Mail
Centre Q 4560 PH 5441 6200 www.wilvos.org.au