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The days before

Aftermath

The unlucky ones

Search and rescue

Helping the survivors

The lucky ones

The injuries

Blaze Aid helps

Rebuilding enclosures

HSI Australia shelters

HUHA NZ shelters

HSI funded water tank

LAOKO funded shade cloth

Helping the survivors

When we returned to the sanctuary 2 days after the fires, we immediately started search and rescue and conducted black walks in the surrounding forests. Many of our release kangas and wallabies returned home burnt, looking for help. We did what we could with the limited medical supplies we had and made phone call after phone call, trying get some help. It quickly became clear that the State Government, The Dept for Primary Industries, Local Land Services, National Parks and Wildlife Service, even the wildlife group WIRES, who we were long time members of, were not coming to help! We knew, the longer it took to get veterinary attention for the injured, the less likely they would survive and the more suffering they would endure.

On one occasion, a few days after the fires, a Dept of Primary Industries Vet arrived at the sanctuary asking if we had any livestock that need care. We said no, we are a wildlife sanctuary, but we do have many kangaroos and wallabies that are burnt, we are doing what we can, but we need a vet and asked if he could help. He said no, and got back into his car and drove off. We were devastated! Didn't any one care about these poor souls?

It turns out there was. HUHA, a not for profit animal rescue organisation from New Zealand, heard about our plight from a very kind wildlife carer, and quickly flew to Australia. HUHA arrived at the sanctuary exactly 1 week after the fires. They brought vets, nurses, darters and builders and setup an emergency triage clinic in an unused room attached to our house, which had only been damaged, not destroyed during the fires. Within hours of arriving, they began treating the survivors, as well as repairing and constructing new enclosures. They were organised and caring towards our wildlife. For the next 2 weeks, they treated the survivors and helped search for more. During their time here, so many were saved.

Unfortunately, HUHA needed to return home and wildlife group WIRES arrived at the sanctuary to take over. As I was a member of this wildlife group and were licensed to care for wildlife through them, I welcomed their arrival, even if it was 3 weeks late! Within 24 hours though, it became obvious, that WIRES did not share the same commitment to the survivors as we did. We were very concerned for the welfare of the ones HUHA had been treating, so 48 hours after WIRES arrival, we made the decision to terminate WIRES operation here and resigned from the group. We joined another local wildlife group LAOKO, and with their help, continued rescuing and treating survivors.

We will always be grateful to our New Zealand friends for helping us and our injured ones, when no one else would.