The Wild Side
Australia is home to some of the world’s most iconic fauna - from koalas and kangaroos to wombats and echidnas - but their populations cannot thrive without the selfless work of rescuers, carers and conservation groups helping to protect the most vulnerable. In our most recent newspaper Nicole Yap spoke to three local organisations that play a large role in wildlife care.
Published 01 September 2022
Written by Nicole Yap
Photography: Jordan Whitt
IT’S 2am – the phone rings. Most of us wouldn’t hear it, let alone answer it. But for a wildlife carer, it’s part of the job. Organisations like KLAWS Inc. (Koala, Land and Wildlife Incorporation) provide a safe refuge for wildlife in the Toowoomba region, through their support of the rescue, care, rehabilitation and release of koalas and other animals. KLAWS Inc. was established after the passing of Clare Gover, founder of Return to the Wild Inc. and a devoted wildlife carer, whose friends – including secretary Jaymee Wicks – worked together to continue Clare’s legacy.
“We identified the gap in the provision of support and a further gap in the availability of rehabilitation facilities in the region, and wanted to make a measurable difference in this space,” Jaymee said.
A small but dedicated team, KLAWS Inc. also supports wildlife carers in the region by providing resources, supplies, animal transport
and assistance with grant applications. And while Jaymee has closely seen that the life of a wildlife carer can be wild and beautiful, it’s also wild and challenging.
“I feel that if you say ‘wildlife carer’, anyone’s mind will jump to cute and cuddly fluffy animals that you can bond with, feed, cuddle and pet. But it couldn’t be further from the truth,” Jaymee said. There is no typical day for a wildlife carer, but it often involves sleepless nights; being on call 24/7; feeding animals before feeding yourself; hours of driving for rescues, food sources or trips to veterinary surgeries; and making difficult decisions on the best call for an animal.
“It can mean weeks of caring for an animal for something to go awry, and having to say goodbye to an animal that you’ve put your heart
and soul into caring for. It’s the first thing in the morning and the last thing before closing your eyes. It’s a sacrifice, both soul-crushing and yet rewarding,” Jaymee said.
“The only hope is to release healthy wildlife to give them the best chance of survival and a chance of reproducing to boost population
numbers.”
But caring for and releasing animals begins with rescuing them. Carers in the Toowoomba region often work alongside RSPCA Queensland’s Volunteer Animal Rescue Unit, which is overseen by animal rescue manager Josephine Jordaan.
“The team deals with a wide variety of calls, from responding to animals hit by a car to orphaned wildlife that have become entangled in a tree or stuck in a drain,” Josephine said.
The dedicated volunteers are on call seven days a week with a rescue vehicle ready at their house, transporting koalas and other wildlife – either to a vet hospital or to a local carer – and eventually releasing the animals back into the wild.
The RSPCA sees more than 27,000 animals every year, including the beloved but endangered koala. The work of wildlife carers – most of which is voluntary and “funded off their own back” – as well as community awareness of wildlife care have thus become increasingly crucial.
“Wildlife care isn’t for everyone – you need to apply to become a carer and have appropriate facilities at your home to look after native animals. It’s also illegal to take wildlife from the wild and you shouldn’t try to care for them at your own home,” Josephine said.
“We are coming into trauma season (spring through summer), so it would be great for the community to be more aware of the wildlife in their area. Slow down when driving; be extra careful on the road.
“If you find a sick native animal, it’s always best to seek veterinary and expert assistance with rescue and treatment of wild animals … and if you find deceased animals on the roadside, you can also stop where it is safe to do so to check their pouch for young and call for assistance,” she said.
The community can also play a more active role in conservation on several levels, according to Cam Mackenzie, treasurer of the Toowoomba branch of Queensland’s oldest and largest wildlife conservation group, Wildlife Queensland.
He encourages locals to “create native wildlife-friendly gardens in your own yards; attend wildlife events to learn
more about our unique Australian wildlife; write letters to local members to protect diminishing native bushland and forests; or join your local wildlife branch,” Cam said.
From rescuing and rehabilitating injured animals; to planting more habitat trees; to educating communities about how to live with wildlife, organisations like KLAWS Inc., RSPCA Queensland and Wildlife Queensland are helping to protect all creatures great and small.
To learn more or volunteer, visit klaws.org.au, rspcaqld.org. au and wildlife.org.au. If you find sick or injured wildlife, please call RSPCA’s 24/7 Animal Emergency Hotline on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625).
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