Over our years as wildlife rehabilitators we had the privilege of caring for some very rare and special creatures. Sadly, not all of them made it due to their injuries. However we did our best to give them the best assistance possible to aid in their recovery. Of course not all these 'special care' patients are found in our area and adults are almost always released back to their original homes. This page features just some of these stories.
Lotus is a Red-necked Wallaby who was found after having fallen down a deep muddy post hole. When she came into care she was completely covered in dried, thick mud and needed to be washed and given emergency hydration and warmth. Remarkably her injuries were not fatal and she settled into care in our large yard while she recovered from soft tissue damage and gained strength.
Mellow was rescued from Rappville in Sept 2019 after being attacked by a Goanna. This was the first Yellow-bellied Glider that had come into care with WIRES Northern Rivers. Although known to inhabit pockets of habitat in our region, they are rarely spotted - and are a vulnerable species in NSW
Mellow was severely emaciated and dehydrated and had several bad wounds, a lesion on one eye and required intensive treatment by vets. We were initially guarded in our expectations, however Mellow thrived in care.
Tragically, the area Mellow was from (Busby’s Flat) was destroyed by one of the devastating 2019 fires. All of Mellow’s family and the glider habitat in that area were destroyed. We knew Mellow was not likely to be able to be released due to her eye injury, but now she was probably the only survivor of her family. She was very special to us all and we were lining up a suitable placement for permanent care. Very sadly for all of us, after eight months in care, Mellow took a turn for the worst and died not long after. We were all heart broken but knew she had enjoyed a very happy time in retirement at Araucaria Sanctuary. We have many happy memories of her stay with us.
We had the privilege of caring for a very special joey - Souris - a Rufous Bettong from near Tabulam. Unfortunately these little guys aren't found in our area, so after being in care for around a month Souris was transferred to another WIRES carer for release.
Drake was an Eastern Grey joey who was found caught on a fence and had severe cuts to both his feet. He required many bandage changes and rest and recuperation but, after staying with us for a month, he was able to be transferred to another macropod carer (Eastern Greys aren't found in our area) and he went on to be successfully released.
Iksha the Squirrel glider was found lying on the ground in bushland covered in maggots and with two dead embryonic joeys in her pouch. She had neurological damage and an eye injury however vets agreed that full recovery was possible.
Iksha (meaning ‘sight’) required eye drops eight times a day for three weeks - a difficult task as gliders are feisty, difficult to handle and can deliver a very nasty bite.
Her improvement was considerable and, after regaining strength in a larger aviary she was finally released back to her family.
This special little joey was the first Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby to come into care in our area. She had been found caught up in a fence and unfortunately both her feet were badly injured. Sadly she didn't make it, but it was a priviledge to have contact with such a unique and endangered macropod.
This adult Red-necked Pademelon came into care completely paralysed in her back legs, and with a furred joey in her pouch. With no obvious physical injuries we suspected neuralogical or viral causes and after 4-5 days of medication and treatment her movement started returning. Sadly she rejected her joey (Nano) which we then hand-raised - however they both went on to be released.
Rock Valley
NSW, Australia, 2480
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