Well storm season has come early and with a vengeance! Monday 24th November was horrendous for our humans and our animals. Many losing power, trees across power lines, buildings and so forth.
Imagine being a tiny little nestling bird or possum in such a ferocious storm. Blown out of nests, wet and disorientated, possibly injured when a tree or a large branch has come down.
The WILVOS Hotline (24hours) 07 54416200 was hot alright. The hotline that afternoon from 5pm until 9pm, received a record number of calls in the shortest time from Members of the Public (MOP), trying to seek help for the wildlife they had found. Nestlings (baby birds still in nest, no flight feathers & still with fluffy down) and Fledglings (fully feathered but still learning to fly) on the ground, often with distressed parents calling or flying near wanting to reunite with their babies. Young and injured possums on the ground, in drains etc.
MOP’s are incredibly helpful and willing to go the extra mile, even under adverse conditions, to help our wildlife. If the bird appeared uninjured and its parents present, they were given information on how to build a make-shift nest, place it back up in a nearby tree & observe for a few hours to ensure there was a successful reunification.
Given the conditions, many without power, internet or phones it was challenging to even contact rescuers, they cannot attend rescues until the situation is safe to go out. MOP’s were very willing to take animals to Australia Wildlife Hospital, Sippy Downs & Tanawah After Hours Vets, all 24hrs or keep safe, warm and contained until they could transport to Eumundi Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre the following morning, open from 6am -5pm, 7 days a week. They were all inundated with injured or orphaned wildlife.
Over the next few weeks native wildlife may turn up in unusual places and times. Please contact the Hotline if there are any concerns and a WILVOS member will assist as appropriate to the situation
Wildlife Volunteers Assoc. Inc (WILVOS) PO Box 4805 SCMC Q PH 07 54416200
www.wilvos.org.au