Wildlife Victoria
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Growing pains for Ranges wildlife
Joanna Beard It’s a crisp, June morning on the outskirts of Gisborne. Stolen glances of Mount Macedon and the comforting smell of woodsmoke are among the wintry delights here. But there’s something that distracts from the beauty. It’s the dead animals splayed along the roadside. Two eastern grey kangaroos, one ringtail possum, one crimson rosella…
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Roo savaged by dog, left to drown
A kangaroo was saved from the Coliban Main Water Channel by wildlife rescuers after it was attacked by an off-leash dog in Elphinstone on March 28. Volunteers from Wildlife Victoria were called to the scene and managed to extract the 70kg male kangaroo from the water channel, before providing medical assistance. He was taken to…
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Roo on road to recovery
Volunteer rescuers from Wildlife Victoria, Wildlife Rescue and Information Network and local community members joined forces last week to rescue a male kangaroo that had been cruelly shot through the head with an arrow at Chewton. The kangaroo, estimated to be about seven to nine years old, was first spotted in bushland behind homes in…
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Highest rate of trauma
Macedon Ranges has the highest rate of wildlife road trauma in the state, adding to a strain on Wildlife Victoria’s services. CEO Lisa Palma said since 2019, more than 4000 native animals had been struck by cars in the Macedon Ranges alone. The organisation experienced a 46 per cent increase in state-wide incidents over that…
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Next gen rescuers
A frightened and trapped wallaby was rescued from a residential street in Gisborne last month with the help of three local children.
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The cost of caring
Volunteer wildlife rescuers in the Macedon Ranges have described their workload as unsustainable. They say the callouts they respond to on a daily basis are a full-time commitment, leaving them unable to earn an income in paid employment. There is also no government funding for their work. Sue Anderson, Trevor Crawford and Debbie Gwyther-Jones are…
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Roo rescued from reservoir
Wildlife rescuers have saved an injured kangaroo trapped below a steep embankment at Upper Coliban Reservoir.
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Duck death toll climbs
The mass bird casualty situation at the Bells Swamp Conservation Reserve near Maldon continues to worsen with 640 dead birds pulled from the wetlands as of Friday afternoon. A Parks Victoria spokesperson told the Express they were still awaiting test results at the time of going to press. However, it is strongly suspected the birds…
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Spiky friend saved
An echidna was rescued from a prickly situation in Hutton Street, Kyneton, last Tuesday. The echidna was found wandering the car park between the Macedon Ranges Shire Council offices and court and the nearby busy roadway. MRSC director of planning and environment, Rebecca Stockfeld, said council staff acted quickly help the echidna to safety. “There…
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Wildlife emergencies on the rise as wet weather ravages the state
Wildlife Victoria has ramped up its services after receiving more than 1000 calls in the past two days due to the state’s extreme weather conditions. CEO of Wildlife Victoria Lisa Palma told the Express, with parts of the state already flooded, volunteers were finding it difficult to access the animals in need of help. “The…
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‘Bad kills’ need to stop
A kangaroo with its jaw blown off and left suffering for days to die is a wildlife rescuer’s worst nightmare. Wildlife Victoria rescuer Sue Anderson said she and others faced this reality under the state’s increased Kangaroo Harvesting Program. Last week Ms Anderson was called to Macedon to euthanise a mother kangaroo left severely disfigured…
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Hop to it and do wildlife rescue
People keen to help injured native wildlife are about to get a great chance to do just that.A wildlife rescuers’ and transporters’ course delivered through Wildlife Victoria is coming up next month and Mount Alexander and Macedon Ranges locals are being encouraged to take part. “We’re desperately short of rescuers and transporters in our area,”…