The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Wildlife Post-Flood Appeal!

Early this year the widespread floods in Queensland covered an area of the size of both France and Germany combined, or an area as big as NSW.

We lost lot's of the smaller macropods, especially the wallabies. Bandicoots, native rats and mice, invertebrates etc, were all heavily impacted. Some houses found hundreds of snakes crawling over them, as the snakes head for any high ground in a flood, even a house!

We ran a Flood Appeal for wildlife, every cent of which went to wildlife carers who were working to assist and save wildlife which had to be rescued and rehabilitated from the ravages of the storm weather.

Above, media photo

One huge impact has been felt on the Gt Barrier Reef, where the silt, containing mud, cow manure and farm chemicals, poured out of the rivers and onto the coral.....and devastating to those marine species such as dugong and marine turtles that depend on it. Hundreds of dead turtles have been found, starved to death because the sea grass beds have been silted up. Many sick turtles have been taken into care.

Then, in WA, forgotten victims of the bushfires in the South-West are many species of native animals and birds that may have been completely wiped out. Conservationists and animal carers say populations of highly endangered possums, black cockatoos and other native species may now be locally extinct in the Margaret River, Nannup and Augusta regions. The wildlife disaster is a result of at least two fires that burned through more than 70,000 hectares and destroyed more than 40 properties after a series of prescribed burns by WA's Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) flared out of control in November.

Animal rescuers say the fires had wiped out almost entire populations in some areas, with possibly 90 per cent of the wildlife in those areas would have been killed. The combined Nannup-Augusta fire, which burnt about 50,000ha, was ``the biggest on record'' in WA's South-West. Conservationists have been scathing of the decision to hold the burns in spring, during the nesting and breeding seasons, saying young animals and birds wouldn't have stood a chance.

However, many burnt and displaced native anilmals have been handed in to local carers for medication, rehabilitation and eventuaul release. These carer groups need money to feed and rehab the animals for release. You can make a donation here to help the WA wildlife carers, and we will pass the funds on to those carers who need it in WA.

The losses to wildlife in the bad weather was appalling. In Rockhampton in Central Queensland, which was under water for weeks, kangaroo, koalas, wallabies, water birds and other wildlife was washed down the river and washed up dead on the beaches North of Rockhampton.

Forests and fields were destroyed, and remnant wildlife had no food or shelter. Then Cyclone Tracy hit the Northern Queensland Coast and more habitat was destroyed, leaving many species like cassowaries and gliders without habitat or food.

The losses to wildlife in Queensland was horrific. But thanks to the many donors, wildlife carers were able to take many animals into care, and provide food and shelter until the unseasonal weather subsided.

Northern bat carers have been inundated with orphaned babies and tick affected mothers. 98 orphaned babies were recently sent from North Queensland to the Gold Coast carers as there were too many for local wildlife carer groups to manage. Recent heat has killed and stressed many more flying foxes.

Some carers we know of have 20 or more joeys (baby kangaroos) in care. Food is expensive and they get no help from Government. Many have gliders, birds, flying foxes, and possums in care.

The storms earlier this year have been a continuing disaster for wildlife. When we add these storms on top of previous ongoing road kills, habitat loss, and all the other threats, it's a very grim picture for Australian wildlife.

The wildlife carers need your help again. They have asked me to pass on their very grateful thanks for the help previously provided earlier this year. If you can help them again, please consider making another donation to this appeal. All donations over $20 are tax deductable (in Australia) , and of course all donors will receive an emailed receipt.

Or simply mail a cheque to WPAA, PO Box 309, Beerwah, Qld, 4519

Footnote

We would like to sincerely thank those donors who have donated already. It's quite obvious that there are many caring people around the World who feel deeply about our wildlife.

Our priorities are getting the funds from this Appeal out to those carers who are actively working on rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife, so getting receipts out to donors may take a little longer, although you should get a Paypal receipt. If you haven't donated yet, there is still plenty of time to do so.

Please remember, all our admin costs are met by our corporate sponsors, so every cent we receive through out wildlife appeals goes directly to wildlife carers who are saving wildlife in these devastated areas of Australia.

Thanks very much, all you wonderful, wonderful, people,

Pat O'Brien, President, WPAA Inc. Ph 0408 711344