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Community funds wildlife care
Injured native wildlife in the Shire are now in even better hands after Fauna Rescue
Whitsundays received a grant from the Whitsunday Regional Council to purchase
specialist care hot boxes. The project has been funded by the Biodiversity Levy, a
$15 levy on rateable properties, which is used to implement measures which improve,
protect, promote and maintain natural resources, biodiversity and the environment in
the Shire.
Fauna Rescue Whitsundays applied for a biodiversity grant in the first round of
funding applications and were successful for 2 projects which met the criteria for
habitat management and education programs.
Project 1 – Biodiversity levy grant has been used to fund the construction of possum
nesting boxes by Proserpine High School students which Fauna Rescue can then
provide to members of the public who have problems co-existing with possums.
Suitable nest boxes can provide an alternative home for possums that reside in houses
where they are not welcome! The boxes can also be used when releasing rehabilitated
possums back to the wild if habitat trees are unavailable.
Project 2 – Funding was used to purchase a number of specialist care hot boxes which
have greatly increased the chances of survival for many sick and injured animals.
Many of the animals that come into care require a constant level of warmth. This is
particularly difficult to achieve with small furless joeys for which the slightest
temperature change can be fatal. Carers are currently forced to use sometimes
ineffective sources of heat such as light globes, hot water bottles and electric blankets
but this has changed with the purchase of hot boxes that provide a thermostatically
regulated constant source of heat. The hot boxes are lent out to volunteer carers and
are an invaluable resource in assisting in the rehabilitation and release of wildlife.
Fauna Rescue Whitsundays sincerely thanks the Whitsunday Regional Council for
their generous assistance in funding these projects.
The National Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference 2007.
Sandy Cleeland attended the 2007 National Wildlife Conference held at the Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle 6 – 9th August. Sandy would like to thank the Whitsunday Shire Council for a grant of $1,000.00 to go towards the cost.

Esplanade Hotel, the Venue
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Pelican at the waterfront |
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The topics and the speakers were varied and here are some samples of those I was inspired by. There was a very brief but tear jerking speech by Gail Gipp, of the Wildlife Warriors on work started by Steve Irwin that is continuing all around the world. The new hospital at Australia Zoo is due for completion in 2008.
Gail also talked on the platypi she had raised, Finn, Trey and Zeek.
Dr Sarah Brett, who is a vet and an organizer of the ‘Toad Busters’ spoke on the cane toad and how they are trying to halt the advance on Kakadu. Dettol she suggested as the best eradicator, extremely quick and efficient.
Dr Jim Pollock from Townsville spoke about autopsies (‘It’s died, I think I killed it and I feel guilty’). He spoke on how various animals had died and the difference a diagnosis based on the autopsy performed as against what the carer thought they had died from. Jim also recommended all carers give their critters a sub cutaneous jab of 5 in 1 solution as routine vaccination.
Anne Fowler gave two talks. The first was on fluid therapy in wildlife. The need for sub cutaneous fluid in rehydrating our charges. Her mantra was Warmth & Fluids, Warmth & Fluids to be chanted. Anne also spoke on Zoonosis and another mantra--the 20, 20, 20 rule, wet the hands and soap to the count of twenty, wash to the count of twenty, dry to the count of twenty.
June Butcher spoke on how we can all make a difference. At Kanyana their Endangered Breeding Program have bred and released to date 80 Bilbies. Kanyana started way back with June and her daughter who were interested in wildlife and it has grown and grown and new premises had been sort through council. They will be moving shortly into a newly renovated hospital which was a disused Girl Guide camp on some hundred acres. They can’t wait to move in and have volunteers queuing up to study and to help them with their programs.
There was also a speaker, Shirley Lack who had spent time at the Epping State Forest monitoring the endangered northern hairy nosed wombats.
Renee Chamberlin spoke on a fulltime course for careers Certificate III in Native Animal Rehabilitation that is being held down in Brisbane and expressions of interest are being sort from anyone wanting to do an online course. Email: Renee.Chamberlin@deta.qld.gov.au. If enough requests are made the course may become available.
There were trade stalls during morning and afternoon teas with Werribee TAFE in Victoria offering a course that is operating at the moment, next semester 2008 they have on offer the same courses, they can be done online. Cost in 2007 was around $450 so will possibly be a similar cost in the New Year. I’m afraid I don’t have the gentleman’s contact details on hand at the moment but if anyone is interested please phone me at 0749473324 .
IFAW Tania Duratovic spoke on projects they are doing worldwide. In Australia, IFAW’s work is focused on both natural and man made disasters one of which included the recent bush fire relief in Victoria. IFAW is also supporting the establishment and operation of State Wildlife Rehabilitation Councils across Australia and encouraging the development of National councils to work for the interests and needs of wildlife rehabilitators.
Pictures one of the injured koalas with burnt paws.
Thirty odd speakers spoke over the four days of the conference.
Fauna Rescue Whitsundays would like to thank Coles Cannonvale for their ongoing support and donations of fruit and vegies on a regular basis. This support not only goes towards our huge food costs of feeding wildlife in our care, but also to the feeding of insects such as mealworms and crickets that we breed to feed the wildlife.
