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This is a white phase Southern Giant Petrel, Macronectes giganteus. The bird was found ashore at Clovelly side of Gordon's Bay on the rocks exhausted, late on Saturday afternoon the 3rd August 2019 by local residents, Greg and Janine. Greg and his wife took the bird to Sydney Veterinary Emergency & Specialists in Rosebery. The veterinary staff on duty consulted Taronga Wildlife Hospital and administered necessary fluids to rehydrate the exhausted animal as first aid. The bird was then picked up by local WIRES East branch volunteer Michaela Sukopova. It did not take long for the bird to start showing signs of feeling better. Michaela subsequently called SOSSA to properly identify the species and for consultation on how to best house and care for the bird overnight until it could be taken into rehabilitation.  read more

A possum found with a glass jar stuck over his head in Blaxland has been released to the same tree he was rescued from following expert treatment from vets and WIRES.

“It was a textbook release,” said WIRES carer Judith Carter, who attended the initial rescue and cared for the adult male brushtail possum overnight.

“We got there just after dark, and I held up the carrier to his tree. When I opened the lid, he poked his little head out and had a look around. He knew exactly where he was, and scampered up the tree.”
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Netting entanglements can result in constriction wounds, abrasions, fractured bones and even death. Any netting which has holes large enough for your pinky to fit through is a danger for wildlife.

As Flying-foxes forage for food, their toes and wings can get caught in the netting holes. The more they struggle to get free by twisting and turning their bodies, the more entangled they become.   read more

Earlier this year WIRES received a call from someone in Northern NSW who had been handed a very tiny joey. The mother had been caught in a trap, and when she was released she quickly disappeared, leaving her joey behind.
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For many native animals eggs are a natural part of their diet and it is not uncommon for WIRES to be called to rescue Lace Monitors caught raiding chicken coops.

Typically WIRES would advise simply opening the coop to allow the Goanna to make a hasty retreat - however this case was a bit different.

Lachlan, the chicken keeper, had placed six golf balls in his laying boxes to encourage the chickens to lay there. The golf balls were nowhere to be seen so Lachlan made a life-saving decision, he closed the door and called WIRES.  

Rescuers Martin and Brett attended and collected ‘Tiger’ the Goanna and promptly took him to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital for x-rays and assessment. The six golf balls and three chicken eggs could be clearly seen in the x-ray!  read more

We are excited to launch our free Australian Wildlife online course to the community. read more

Open for entries from 15th January, 2019. To enter you simply have to like and then private message your wildlife images to WIRES facebook page.   read more

Specific signs of heat stress to watch for are: Any bird that is panting indicates that they are really hot. A healthy bird will try and get out of the sun and into a cooler place. If you see a bird sitting outside in the full sun panting there’s something wrong.

Put water in a shady place so it stays as cool as possible. Change the water daily or even more frequently if possible, keep the container clean. Put water in places at different heights away from pets or predators for different species of birds, place a few stones or sticks in the water to provide a means of escape for smaller creatures that may fall in. read more