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Helping wildlife affected by bushfire's can be the difference between life and death. Here's 5 ways you can help.
1. Make Water Available
Make water available to wildlife that may visit your yard. Provide water at ground level and also higher up for birds if possible. Place stones at the inside edge of the container for smaller animals to escape if they fall in.
NB: If you find an injured animal do not give it food or water until you have sought advice, as it could delay treatment.
2. Provide Shelter If Possible
Even just putting your BBQ umbrella up could provide a bit of respite for displaced animals. Be sure to take extra care when entering sheds and outbuildings in case wildlife (including snakes) have sought shelter there.
3. Keep Pets Indoors
By keeping pets indoors your yard will be a safer sanctuary for displaced wildlife.4. Watch For Injured Animals
If you find an injured animal wrap it loosely in a towel to protect burned areas and place in a cardboard box in a quite, dark spot while you seek further advice from your local wildlife agency. Offer water only if advised or you are unable to seek advice immediately.
5. Donate
- donate funds
- donate your time
- donate food
- donate your excess first aid goods
- donate your excess towels and linens
- contact your wildlife rescue group and find out what they need:
- buckets
- bowls
- paper towels
- rubber gloves
- spray bottles
- disinfectant
- washing powder
- help with doing laundry
- pick-up and drop-off of donated goods or wildlife
- lunch for volunteers
- help spreading the message of how to help
- cardboard boxes
- foster homes - please note: to work with wild animals directly special training and certification is usually needed
Have you ever helped to rescue a wild animal?
This is a great post--wonderful advice. I've never had to use it but knowing what to do is a big step.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like a good message to get out right now with over 67,000 hectares lost to bushfire (that's just slightly smaller then Ireland which is 70,280 hectares).
DeleteVery informative. I hope I'll never have to follow this advice.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/01/nosey-cat-yep.html
I hope so too Sue!
DeleteWhat a great list! We haven't had fires here in the south - when I lived out west, we used to have to worry about fires all the time.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that y'all are suffering right now. Fires are no fun.
Thank you for sharing with us at Photo Friday!
I was so hopeful that this year's fire season would not be as bad as previous years as they had already caught 2 arsonists, and it has turned out to be the worst fires in 50 years. :(
DeleteGreat post and advice. I've often wondered what would be best to do if I ran into an animal that has been hurt. I've volunteered and donated money to organizations, I really feel great knowing I've made a difference in animal lives.
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We saved a magpie a few years ago and I will never forget her. It really is rewarding.
DeleteThanks for the help. Lots of times we just don't know what to do! Stella to the rescue!!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to keep it simple you know? All the lists I've read have been super long, overly informative, leave you feeling like it's more hassle then it's worth sorta stuff. When if everyone could just put out a bowl of water think how much of a difference that might make to the wildlife?
Deletegreat advice for helping displaced wildlife regardless of the circumstances!
ReplyDeleteIt's doesn't take much to just help a little and if we all can help a little we could end up helping a lot.
DeleteI love this! I used to rescue injured animals all the time on our farm in KS. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteRescuing is such a lot of work at times but it is also worth every moment.
DeleteHi Stella, great advice. We do get fires here in the summer too, but nothing compared to what you get.
ReplyDeleteMany people (including myself) wouldn't know where to start in helping an injured wild animal. The nearest I've got to helping injure animals was helping hedgehogs in the UK. Where I grew up, we would get hedgehogs coming into the garden, sometimes young ones would come out of hibernation to early and we'd give them a safe place to settle down and sometimes we would get sick ones. My Dad would always ring the RSPCA first though.
xx
The RSPCA has always been my first port of call too. They focus on domestic animals here and the Parks and Wildlife dept. does wildlife rescues. We rescued a snake once and convinced the RSPCA to come and get it and look after it over the weekend and then they could pass it on to the parks and wildlife folk on Monday. The poor guy who came to collect it was not happy at all about driving with a snake.
DeleteIt is so sad a lot of animals die because of fires, and lots of them are injured. This is a great list of tips to keep in mind
ReplyDeleteThe poor vet in the area had a harrowing week of easing the way for those he couldn't help but his whole team saved so many animals and every little bit that we can do to help with saving them helps to make their job just that little bit easier.
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