Bushfire update: Our urgent plan for animals John, we've greeted the new year with aching hearts as we've watched our beautiful country burn. I know many of you live in the areas impacted by these devastating fires, and that some of you will have lost all that is dear in recent weeks. We have been thinking of you constantly, and of course, of the animals who have suffered and perished on an incomprehensible scale. As one of our valued supporters, I'm writing with a critical update and to ask for your help. Whilst we welcome the recent rain, the summer's bushfire crisis is far from over, and animals remain in desperate need.
Animals like this little joey brought into emergency care by a search-and-rescue team in Mallacoota — a fire-besieged town on the usually picturesque east coast of Australia.  Doctor Ong, along with Doctor Barton and their incredible team of local volunteers, have been treating the injuries of bushfire survivors, like this little joey named 'Picasso'. Frightened, dehydrated and struggling to hop on burnt paws, if she hadn't been found she would undoubtedly have died. But she was found, and became the first bushfire victim rescued by expert wildlife vets, Dr Elaine Ong and Dr Chris Barton, after Animals Australia supporters helped fund their flight into Mallacoota. Named Picasso by her rescuers, she has since been joined by other joeys, wombats, koalas, goannas, wallabies and more who, under the tender care of vets and volunteers, will survive these terrible fires. You can support our work to help animals like Picasso by donating to our emergency bushfire appeal here. Getting funds and supplies to where animals need it most. John, our team has been working day and night to ensure that animals receive the help they need. As with every emergency, the situation on the firegrounds is changing constantly. In fact, navigating this bushfire crisis presents one of the greatest logistical challenges we have ever faced at Animals Australia. We have become 'air traffic controllers' of a sort, directing critical supplies and funds directly to animals — and the people caring for them. Here are just some of the life-saving ways our emergency bushfire appeal is helping animals in the worst fire-affected regions. |
Led by Dr Elaine Ong and Dr Chris Barton of Vets for Compassion, these vets are helping any surviving animals — and ensuring local wildlife carers have the support and resources they need. |
Many animals who have survived the fires are now faced with a burnt landscape of dead trees and no water. That's why, in addition to their veterinary work, Drs Ong and Barton, along with a team of incredible volunteers, are out putting 'bouquets' of leaves in trees and fixing water stations for survivors like this wallaby. |
Two new 4WD vehicles have been delivered to support rescue and veterinary teams on Kangaroo Island and in Victoria. This will increase their capacity in these areas and help bring more animals to medical centres for critical treatment. We are also in the process of acquiring additional vehicles to assist with first-responders deploying in the Blue Mountains, now that access to the firegrounds is becoming possible (if still very challenging). |
We've chartered a private plane to deliver thousands of kilograms of kangaroo food, to Mallacoota and surrounds — a fire-ravaged area that has been closed to road access since New Year's Eve. The surviving animals there are going to need continue support feeding until the grass — their critical food source — returns. We are also working with locals in other fire-impacted areas to assist with the purchase of food for distribution for their local wildlife. |
We've established two new wildlife emergency response stations in north-east Victoria — finally getting carers and vets into areas where we know animals have been suffering, but nobody else had been able to get to yet. |
We are actively reaching out to vet clinics in fire-affected areas and have just provided another emergency grant to a clinic to be distributed to local carers in one of the worst impacted fire zones — like that of specialised wildlife vet, Dr Howard Ralph of Southern Cross Wildlife Care, pictured above with a rescued Koala. We've also channeled substantial funds to SAVEM (South Australian Veterinary Emergency Management) who have sent specialist vets to badly-hit Kangaroo Island in South Australia, and to Vets Beyond Borders who are deploying volunteer vets to help animals in the Adelaide Hills, and will extend to other areas like the Blue Mountains with offers of veterinary assistance and supplies, and food for hungry animals. |
We've distributed additional funds directly to groups and individual wildlife carers working in fire-affected areas, providing immediate and meaningful support to animals in need. This includes food drops, water provision and maintenance, capturing and transporting animals, and search-and-rescue operations on private property. We continue to engage in emergency talks with decision-makers and political leaders, providing intelligence, proposals and guidance to assist in their emergency operations, ensuring that the protection and preservation of surviving wildlife remains front of mind for them. In the last 24 hours we secured a commitment from the Victorian government to begin aerial food drops to starving wildlife in fire-affected areas that cannot be accessed — an unprecedented government intervention which means help for hungry animals is now on its way. Through support of our emergency bushfire appeal, Animals Australia has been able to throw ourselves into strategic mobilisation, raising awareness and channelling funds to where they are most needed — all to allow these heroic vets, carers and rescuers to focus on what they do best: saving animals' lives. But our work is far from over. John, with your support, this is only the beginning of what we hope to achieve for animals. The path forward. Today, and in the days and weeks ahead, the primary need remains to find survivors and give them the urgent care they need. However, when our brave emergency services defeat these fires, Australia will be faced with a new challenge: some 10 million hectares of land, that was once the habitat for our native animals, turned into a blackened landscape. |
Together, we can begin — and sustain — the process of regenerating these firegrounds for the future and greater good of animals, people and the country alike. We are committed to being part of the healing process for the long haul — because animals need us to be. John, not a single action for animals that I've described above could have been possible without the generosity of Animals Australia supporters all around the world. You can be part of this too by giving to our emergency bushfire appeal. |
'Cuddles' was medically cleared for release days ago. But when a volunteer attempted to return him to the wild, he nearly jumped back into his arms. He's not emotionally ready to go back yet. So, he's going to stay with a carer until he feels confident enough to go home. As well as dealing with physical hurts, all of us — human, koala or otherwise — need time and help to heal mental and emotional wounds, too.
The survivors who are still out there need us to keep moving forward, providing every support we can to give them the best possible chance. And it’s success stories, like little Cuddles' and Picasso's – of resilience, love and survival – that keep the flame of hope alive. If you are able to support these efforts by donating to our emergency bushfire appeal, we would be so very grateful.
John, I'll update you again as soon as I'm able, but for now thank you for your compassion and generosity at this time of unprecedented need. For the animals,
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The life-saving veterinarian pictured in image #6 is Dr. Howard Ralph of Southern Cross Wildlife Care. You can support their efforts to rescue and rehabilitate bushfire- and drought-affected animals here. Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media.
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