Christmas is a time to help our wildlife
A tiny Feathertail Glider emerges from its log home. Image: Donna Anthony
In recent months there has been a great increase in orphaned and injured animals being reported on the WILVOS hotline. It always makes me so aware of the value of this 24 hour a day, 365 days a year rescue number for distressed wildlife.
It is always a challenge to find enough people to man the phone line at the end-of-year holiday period, but somehow the amazing WILVO phone roster co-ordinators manage, even though, I think, they end up doing many extra hours themselves! Fortunately the hotline operates on a diversion system where volunteers answer the phone from their own homes, so it is easy to do a quick switch through if an emergency crops up and the rostered volunteer can’t do the rostered time.
With their habitats disappearing fast, it is a serious competition for food and housing for many animals. There has been a large number of ringtail possums found out in the open and being harassed by birds. When this happens high up in a tree, it is a waiting game. Often the ringtail just hasn’t made it back to the drey by sunup and the birds are not going to miss out on the opportunity of annoying anything that is a stranger in their area. Usually the possum will move onto some covering foliage, or else the birds will get tired of their games, and nightfall finds the possum in its familiar secure territory of darkness.
There has also been an increase in the number of smaller marsupials coming into care. Human impact, unfortunately, is nearly always the cause. Domestic pets and destruction of habitat are the main problems. I actually had four little feathertails weighing only four grams each, and another four little antechinus weighing a tiny three grams each -- all in care at the same time.
I seemed to just finish one feed and it was time for the next. I look at these small native animals and wonder how any of them ever survive out there. Just facing their natural native predators would be enough of a worry.
The dry, hot month of November meant that many native animals came into care very dehydrated. Once injured or orphaned, dehydration soon takes a hold. WILVO carers are always taught the secret for success in rehabilitation is warmth, dark, quiet and fluids – in that order.
An amazing variety of wildlife workshops were held throughout the year and a big year is planned for 2010. WILVOs take a pride in the fact that they have wildlife presenters from all over Australia. There are always new ideas, and these need to be shared if we wildlife carers are going to expand our knowledge.
The latter part of 2009 also saw a number of tawny frogmouths come into our care. The young walk a thin line as they progress into adolescence. Their first flight attempts often find them on the ground and they are not quite able to fly up to a branch. The parents are very industrious and continue to feed the young as they learn the finer points of feeding and flying. Optimistically, while on the ground, they don’t meet up with straying domestic pets, or venture onto busy roads.
Hopefully, everyone helped our Australian native wildlife with Christmas presents which would help our environment. My grandchildren helped their other grandmother in constructing ringtail possum dreys, which were given out as presents. These wonderful dreys were made from native foliage, all intertwined around a base of stems of bracken fern.
Gifts such as possum and bird nest boxes, or native fruiting and flowering plants are always welcomed by our wildlife and help them through the hard times. They need all the help they can get.
HOTLINE Number: 54416200
Wildlife Volunteers Assoc Inc (WILVOS)
PO Box 2555 Nambour West Q 4560
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