Our WILVO volunteers may have depressing or uplifting days. It is never routine. When that call comes through the 5441 6200 Hotline it is sometimes difficult to comprehend the huge and varied impact that humans have on our wildlife.
Sadly, there have been native animals recently rescued after being shot. Why would someone do this? It is usually thought that people who injure animals are actually scared of them and their reaction is to be cruel. Who could be scared of injury from a bird, possum, reptile or kangaroo? They aren’t going to rush out and attack someone like a savage dog. It is incomprehensible.
Through it all, the priority is to assist any injured or orphaned wildlife. For those that we lose, we have to think of the many native animals that we have saved. That keeps us going.
Everyone can help to prevent human impact on this planet. Some everyday practices just need to change. Balloons cause immeasurable damage to animals when they are ingested, yet that is often not realized as they are set off into the sky. The end result may be the end of the life of a beautiful huge sea turtle or a vulnerable little platypus or a hungry water bird.
Safe disposal of our rubbish is imperative. Even human hair discarded on the beach or in the yard causes the death of birds. Recently one of our carers had a lovely little peewee, found alone on the ground, that lost use of both its legs due to entanglement by human hair.
Hair, baling twine and fishing line are just a few of the items that birds look on as nesting material. They can’t see the longterm effect, so it is up to us to dispose of these items so they are not accessible to our animals.
We can all make a difference. Each life saved is so precious.
Donna Brennan Wildlife Volunteers Assoc Inc (WILVOS) PO Box 4805 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre Q 4560 PH 5441 6200 www.wilvos.org.au