Rescue, Rehabilitate and Release

Pouched joey rescues are common after motor vehicle collisions and for shooting victims. The joey can stay alive in the deceased mother’s pouch for many days before dehydration, birds or foxes kill them.

Kangaroo culls are surreal with bodies lying everywhere, an eerie feeling of emptiness and sadness. Many joeys still alive in the shot mother’s pouches and traumatised at foot joeys standing alone by their deceased mothers.

Searching for missing wombat joeys hiding in a burrow is a challenge. We use a modified toy truck with a camera and flexible extension rods pushed into the burrow while viewing a screen from the outside of the burrow.

We raise orphans from furless joeys right through to release. Each species require a tailored pathway for a successful life as adults and be able to blend in with the local wild population. It can take up to two years for some species such as kangaroos and wombats. Macropods are raised with others of similar age and species and released as a mob. Wombats are often buddied up with one or two of similar age and soft released together.

Stress is always a major factor with orphaned wildlife and we believe they need to adjust slowly to all new stages. Wombats have access to underground tunnels, dirt and grasses early if healthy. Macropods have a system of larger and larger enclosures as they grow with access to huts and hanging pouches until they no longer use it. All animals have regular health checks including faecal flotations and are treated promptly.

Many of the animals rescued have sustained injuries such as head trauma, fractured limbs, spinal injuries, dislocations, abrasions, bruises or other internal injuries. All animals rescued need to be thoroughly assessed and treatment addressed. For animals arriving at Jarake Wildlife Sanctuary that are injured beyond our level of skill and qualification or have injuries needing specialist and urgent attention then the services of a veterinarian are arranged.

Stress can be a silent killer and often untrained people keep orphans in good faith but unable to provide correct husbandry and diet leading to a disastrous outcome.

At Jarake Wildlife Sanctuary, the animals have the advantage of being soft-released. Our enclosures allow for the adjustment to be “free” at a time frame that suits each individual without rushing them and always allowing them to return for as long as it is needed. We have a network of flaps and gates leading to different enclosures allowing “isolation”, “mixed” and “freedom” areas. The benefit of soft release and some making their home range close gives a possibility to continue monitor and able to help them if they sustain an injury or get sick later in their lives. After raising each orphan for up to 18 months, saying goodbye feels like an achievement. We do of course get very close to each individual animal but their time has come and our job is supposed to be done.

Jarake is located on 130 acres bordering State Forest adjacent to National Park. We have over 3 acres purpose built wildlife enclosures monitored by CCTV security cameras. The enclosures contains natural habitat with large eucalyptus and natural water ponds. Many large old wombat burrows and many man made burrows and tunnels are all within and outside of the enclosures. We have access to the man made burrows and tunnels underground, allowing the progression for orphans to start small and move to the larger natural burrows as they grow. We have many indoor huts and shelters for both the wombats, macropods and us during feeding time. We have isolation enclosures, first aid, treatment and education rooms as well as pathology facilities. A modified electric golf cart is used for mange treatment to cover more ground. A modified tonka truck with eight wheels, four on top and four under, and an infra red camera attached is sometimes used during rescues in search for orphaned wombat joeys hiding within their burrows. Ray is also a licensed darter with work carried out under veterinary supervision.

Soft padded jaw traps are still legal and used extensively in State Forests by NSW Forestry Corporation, by DPIE and private property owners for pest management to target wild dogs and foxes. Wallabies, wombats and other native animals are regularly trapped causing death. This Swamp wallaby was caught in Glenbog State Forest over an Easter long weekend. We managed to free her and her very small joey in pouch and brought them home for assessment and treatment. The mother had a dislocated hip, spinal injuries, compound fracture to her foot where the trap had worn through exposing her fractured bone, and she was severely dehydrated, in excruciating pain and in shock. We still do not know how many days she was trapped. We provided pain relief, gave fluids, cleaned and supported her fractured foot and consulted with a veterinarian. She died during the night before we could get her to the veterinary hospital. Her little joey also died as she was too small to survive outside of her mother's pouch.