Wildlife rescuer - the beginner's course

There were about 20 people in the class from all walks of life, from retirees to fresh faced uni students.  It was an interesting day, and I learnt a heap, about birds mainly - apparently for the first 12 months a new rescuer is only allowed to care for birds. Bugger... not excessively fond of feathered friends - cheers Steven King!   Still - 'tis the rite of passage I guess.  I was presented with a manual, a certificate, a small plastic sewing basket, a towel, 3 types of special baby bird food, syringes, plastic gloves  and a huge philosophical conundrum.

National Parks and Wildlife state that it is illegal to have an Australian native animal as a pet, so if the animal become too humanised... euthanise (what about zoos and animal sanctuaries?); if you are unable to return the animal (depending on type) to within 200 metres of where it was found....euthanise (but sometimes members of the public bring in animals they find on the side of the highway and are unsure precisely where); if a bird has a broken wing....euthanise (what about putting it in a splint and allowing it to heal?). 

While I am pro the mercy of euthanasia when options are exhausted, my heart says try everything else first.  Perhaps with education and experience my perspective will change and given I have never actually handled a wild animal, this is the way to garner expertise.

Two weeks after the course, NSW is hit by a fire storm - tragically hundreds of homes were lost, tens of thousands of hectares burnt,  fires were within 7kms of my little country home,  where I spent an entire week stressed out, on high alert.  Fortunately I am luckily enough to work for an organisation that allows telecommuting, so maintained sanity continuing to operate as a corporate professional.  When not on the phone, I was nervously pacing around outside - coughing and spluttering through the smoke, hose in hand - as ash fluttered around me.  

Many animals perished - and undoubtedly many  will require rehabilitation - that's my call to action. Spending 2 full days (yes more than 16 hours) and over 300 cable ties lining my small chicken coop with shade cloth  to safely house some fire injured critter.  I admit placing an urgent call to Dad, regarding the impossibility of working under the inside shelf, when he suggested perhaps I could remove the shelf to enable easier access.  Good thinking 99!

The painful realisation that my handyman skills are nonexistent (ohhh me aching back and blistered fingers), led to outsourcing the cat proofing of my cabana - an area that will comfortably house multiple large cages (who needs an undercover bbq area, when there are lives at steak - opps, I  meant stake). 

 Cat proofing is necessary as I have 3; Tawnie, Totts and Blue.  It's not my fault  I have 3, I used to have a perfectly reasonable 2 when I decided to foster a litter of kittens.  The other adorable fluff balls in the litter found furever homes, but Tawnie would hiss and scratch anyone who came near here - other than me.  To this day I am the only human she likes, and when visitors come, she disappears. 

             

        

Whoops, I digress.... all 3 cats have proven to be vicious, wildlife murdering bastards!  One night, all 3 of them dropped frogs on my face at 3am... I screamed, the frogs screamed, the dogs barked and woke up the whole neighbourhood.   Soooo, I am now locking them inside of a night time, but need to ensure they don't terrorise the shelter inhabitants when I am at work throughout the day.

Posting a shout out on Facebook for donations to help me gear up, and was humbled to receive much from many.

LESSON LEARNT - PURRING PUSSES NEED TO BE KEPT AWAY FROM WILDLIFE