A day in the life of a wildlife rescue warrior
Meet Justin, he’s a humble ‘lizard wizard’, assisting our furry and feathered fauna, and diligently dealing with spiky, scaly, or slippery problems on a daily basis!
Justin manages the Rescue Centre of the Wildlife Welfare Organisation, a wildlife rescue group founded in 1986 and based in Goolwa. Remarkably, the organisation is self-funded, and provides 24/7 care for sick and injured wildlife across the whole of the Fleurieu Peninsula, specialising in seabirds. The organisation is heavily supported by its op shop volunteers, a hard-working board, and of course, the volunteers in the Rescue Centre. Despite its Fleurieu catchment area, the team regularly travel up to Adelaide and the Coorong to assist seabirds that need help.
‘Koala State’ plate grant scheme
The Wildlife Welfare Organisation was a recent grant recipient through the ‘Koala State’ number plate scheme, in which 13 individuals and organisations were awarded up to $5000 to assist them with their important work to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. $50 from each Koala State number plate sold goes directly towards wildlife rescue organisations, via the grants scheme. A second round of grant funding is scheduled to be available in early 2025.
The Wildlife Welfare Organisation will use its grant funding to erect specialist enclosures for echidnas and lizards. According to Justin, echidnas are like ‘bulldozers’ and hence need a specially designed enclosure to contain them safely. The lizard enclosure will be built outdoors, as a ‘pre-release’ setting for lizards who may be recovering from dog attacks or being runover by a car, allowing them to gradually and safely acclimatise to outdoor conditions.
What does a typical day look like?
Having just come back from trying to locate a tangled fur seal pup, casually mentioning that they have an ‘animal ambulance’ and ‘doing a bit of everything,’ Justin reflected ‘it really depends what jobs come in…. there’s no such thing as a typical day!’ However, on any given day, Justin may be found in the Rescue Centre, assisting with wound care, vet checks, along with feeding and medicating animals. From a management perspective, Justin devotes his time to fundraising, governance, as well as recruiting and training volunteers.
How did you become as a wildlife rescue manager?
‘I originally worked for the RSPCA, including wildlife rescue and supplementary feeding during the 2019/20 Kangaroo Island bushfires’. Justin went on to complete a Bachelor of Science Degree, specialising in Animal Behaviour at Flinders University.
What advice would you give people who want to help sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife?
‘Please call a wildlife rescue organisation as soon as possible!’ Justin acknowledged that people often had the right intentions when trying to intervene directly but stressed that ‘wildlife care is very specialised, you need specialist permits to treat and rehabilitate native wildlife in South Australia.’ Delaying contact with a wildlife rescue organisation could reduce the animal’s chances of recovery. Justin’s other piece of advice was to encourage dog and cat owners to be mindful of their pet’s potentially destructive impacts on wildlife and to keep their dogs contained, or on a leash, and for cats to be kept indoors as much as possible.
What do you like most about your work?
‘I love being able to rehabilitate native animals and to then be able to release them into the wild safely’. I’m often inspired by people who go out of their way to do the right thing, who listen and follow advice that is in the best interests of the animal. Some people drive hundreds of kilometres to bring in an injured animal, and I love it when people feel empowered to follow our advice to assist the animal, especially when we can’t get there ourselves. I also enjoy sharing positive animal welfare outcomes with people who had assisted with a distressed animal and wanted to be kept informed of the animal’s progress.
As for being a ‘lizard wizard’, well, Justin would urge you to scale back your expectations!
If you would like to order a Koala State plate, please visit Ezy Plates.
Like this article? Read more about the Koala Plate grants program and recipients or Find out what to do if you find an injured native animal.
