Wildlife food drops to bushfire-affected areas

POSTED:

28 January 2020

WILDLIFE FOOD DROPS TO BUSHFIRE-AFFECTED AREAS

Carrots, sweet potatoes and specially designed food pellets were on the menu for wildlife this week in fire-ravaged eastern Victoria, with special home deliveries coming from the air.

Forty kilograms of much-needed supplementary food pellets were dropped for critically endangered Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies via helicopter in the Snowy River National Park on 22 January 2020.

Non-threatened species such as Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Swamp Wallabies have been chomping on carrots and sweet potatoes that were dropped in areas near Buchan, Bruthen, Orbost, Mallacoota, Genoa and Cann River on 25 and 26 January 2020. There were two further drops near Corryong and Mt Mittamatite yesterday (Monday, 27 January 2020).

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning will be monitoring the success of this feeding regime over coming days.

The State Response Controller Gavin Freeman said: “The aerial food drops will provide wildlife, including the critically endangered Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, with supplementary sustenance. It is vital for us to look after our wildlife, particularly after the devastation of their natural habitat by fire.”

DELWP has developed a fact sheet to assist the public to understand the risks associated with providing supplementary feed for wildlife.

Before providing food for wildlife in bushfire-affected areas, it is important that you consider the risks.
If you do choose to provide food for wildlife, take all necessary steps to minimise those risks. Feeding of wildlife is generally not encouraged.

For an information fact sheet on providing supplementary feed for wildlife, visit www.wildlife.vic.gov.au

The best way to help donate to the wildlife recovery effort is via the official Zoos Victoria Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund at www.donate.zoo.org.au/donation

Donations to the Bushfire Disaster Appeal can be made at any Bendigo Bank branch or via www.vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal.

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Media Releases

Wildlife food drops to bushfire-affected areas

WILDLIFE FOOD DROPS TO BUSHFIRE-AFFECTED AREAS