Wildlife Rescue (WIRES) Southern Tablelands is desperately appealing for more members, saying its volunteers are nearing breaking point and struggling to keep up with demand.
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The local branch only has 50 active members and serves a sprawling area, which encompasses Goulburn, Crookwell, Marulan, Braidwood, Tallong and Tuena. It is not unusual for volunteers to travel 100km to a rescue.
With urban expansion more and more native animals are relocating into the town and WIRES is having trouble keeping up.
WILDLIFE Rescue (WIRES) Southern Tablelands is desperately appealing for more members, saying their volunteers are nearing breaking point and struggling to keep up with demand. The local branch only has 50 active members and serves a sprawling area, which encompasses Goulburn, Crookwell, Marulan, Braidwood, Tallong and Tuena.
It is not unusual for volunteers to travel 100km to a rescue. However, with urban development and subdivisions expanding the city limits, more and more native animals are relocating into town and WIRES is having trouble keeping up with calls.
“We have had 423 animals in care since June last year and the calls would have been more than double that,” possum coordinator Kristen Lowe said.
“There are some of us who are doing three or four (different) jobs and it would make it easier if we had more volunteers to help out… It is very hard to answer the phones. Most of us work and it is hard to always have somebody man the phones, meaning calls are going unanswered and people get cross with us. But the ones that are really suffering are the animals.”
Being a WIRES member does not necessarily mean you have to raise animals. There are plenty of support roles that also need filling including transporters, fundraisers, pouch makers and people to do paperwork and answer phone calls.
“You can help out in any way you can ... (but for those who want to assist by raising animals) it is very rewarding,” Ms Lowe said.
However, without more volunteers, Ms Lowe fears more native animals will die in pain because they simply won’t have the resources to tend to them. WIRES will be holding a Rescue and Immediate Care Course over two consecutive Sundays, February 26 and March 4, at 8.30am at the NSW Police College.
The cost for the course remains at $75 per person, which covers WIRES membership for 12 months, membership ID card (which is your formal licence to rescue and render first aid to Australian native wildlife) the Rescue and Immediate Care Training Manual, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea on both days.
In addition, they will be conducting a free information evening at the Goulburn Workers Club on Monday, February 6, commencing at 7pm. It will give interested people an opportunity to talk to current WIRES members and to find out more about the organisation and looking after wild animals.
The fee for the course is to be paid at least two weeks in advance. Payment needs to be made to The Treasurer, WIRES – Southern Tablelands Branch, PO Box 1190, Goulburn, NSW, 2580, before February 11. For more information contact the WIRES training officer on 0432 090 704 or by emailing annwyn2@gmail.com.
