Rescuing
Rescues take on many forms and no two are ever the same. Depending on the height and location of a sick or injured koala, we can call on other resources to assist in the rescue. Police, Fire and Rescue or sympathetic companies like Performance Tower Hire and Spider Tower Hire help us attain the height required and traffic control if the road is an issue.
The safety of the rescuer is first and foremost, so where power lines are involved, Energex comes to the party. Their insulated gear means they can coax a koala from above and once it starts climbing down the pole, on the ground we're ready to net the animal. A health check by one of our suitably licensed volunteers decides whether they are a catch and release or, as a precaution, they're off to one of the wildlife hospitals.
One girl dived up the nearest "tree" when a passerby chased her off the road, but it was a power pole. Below, this little girl ventured onto a building site without doing an induction for Health and Safety, and she had a joey in her pouch !!
If someone rings up to say they've spotted a koala, then we endeavour to go and sight the animal. Using a camera or binoculars, we check out the health and see if it has an ear tag. A tag indicates it's been to a wildlife hospital previously and has a unique number (check out the koala facts page Koala Facts) which will identify it and its history. We're looking for clear eyes and signs of conjunctivitis, which will cause blindness if not treated early enough. Another killer is chlamydial cystitis, where the bottom becomes dirty, wet and sticky. This dirty bottom is a sure sign the koala is sick, so we're always on the lookout for this as it can be transmitted to a healthy koala. Again, the sooner they receive treatment, the greater the chance of survival (check out the koala health check page Problems Koalas Face).
If this sounds like something you'd be keen to do, either as a volunteer or assisting us financially, then please don't hesitate. If you have any questions about membership, send them via our Contact Us page. NB: All volunteers require a Blue Card. Read more about Blue Cards here.