08 Nov Wildlife and their Bitey Bits
As wildlife rehabilitators we can be confronted by wildlife and their various bitey bits – teeth, claws, nails, beaks, talons and other body parts that can bring tears to the eyes and damage to carers. Dealing with an animal stressed, in pain, or frightened by its situation brings another set of challenges while we try to minimise that stress and contain and triage to plan a course of treatment or simply to rehydrate and set on the rehabilitation pathway to release.
FAWNA was very pleased its grant application for the PPE Grant round was successful and provided funds for additional rabies vaccinations and the group was able to equip all flying-fox rescuers and carers with a pair of cut-proof protective sleeves that will minimise the skin scratches and punctures that can happen when trying to extricate a flying-fox out of barbed wire. President, Meredith Ryan recounts the story how she and her husband, Andrew, attacked each other with sharp forks to test how good these sleeves were – the sleeves passed muster and now all flying-fox carers have a pair thanks to the Wildlife Heroes Grant program. This type of initiative is of huge benefit to rehabilitators who spend so much on their volunteering with wildlife.
Thank you the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife -Wildlife Heroes from FAWNA volunteers and their wildlife charges.
The microbat pictured was covered in viscous fluid from a sticky flypaper trap, and after treatment with a sting free veterinary adhesive remover was successfully released with the minimum time necessary in care.