WIRES: animal rescue training

Saturday past, having traipsed through Lewisham, Petersham, and Dulwich Hill unwilling to contemplate a map, braving a suburban Sydney winter morning, at times of day rarely seen by youth on the weekend, I eventually arrived at Thomas Street, Lewisham. The reason for this intrepid expedition, was to learn how to rescue and care for indigenous Australian animals, by partaking in the inner west branch of WIRES’ introductory course.

As with anything new, the hardest part for me is always the beginning. Having experienced several beginnings already in life, I had attempted to come prepared, for what, I think, is the reason most people are hesitant to take action by themselves: Fear. I was afraid of lunchtime, break time, ‘talk amongst yourselves’ time, and ‘everybody find a partner’ time, so as I entered the hall I clung to my bag of emergency tissues, gum, apples, book, mobile phone, mp3 player, and back up book, prepared for the inevitable, of being the runt of the introductory course, who nobody wants to talk to…

As with most fears of course, my anxiety was unfounded. I registered, made a complimentary tea, and sat down next to someone who smiled and said ‘hi’. The course got underway quickly, under the expert teaching ability of Chris Lloyd, and the excellent catering and facilitating skill of inner-west chairperson Brigette Sharp. Sixty seats were filled, manuals distributed, and coats buttoned, in preparation for a voyage into an alternate world, where Lorikeets are sugar-head, WRX driving scumbags craving a fix, indoor clothes lines double as jungle gyms for baby flying foxes, and snakes are arm-hugging socialites.

Lunchtime was a delicious breeze, as people chatted and Brigette presented vegan, vegetarian and meat-eating options for everyone in attendance. This two-day course was enjoyable, educational, and far more entertaining than I had expected. Pythons arrived on the first day and hugged hello to anyone who would have them. On the second, Mythras visited the class, a beautiful and self-assured Red tailed black cockatoo (a much loved pet not a rescue animal). The atmosphere was always non demanding, questions were welcomed, in a relaxed, comfortable and bottomless tea and coffee environment.

However, in the afternoon on the first day I was somewhat forced to overcome a long held fear, one I had not expected to confront, one I never really paid attention to: a fear of Taxidermy. As a possum forever frozen in flight pose was passed around the class, it eventually made it’s way to the person next to me, and after that it was staring at me with it’s cotton stuffed eyes and sown up mouth: sad, stiff and lifeless. I put my hand over it’s fur covered back and held it in that hand, then instinctively patted it’s head with the other hand, passed it on and breathed. By day two, I was latex glove deep in frozen birds, opening wings and inspecting cloacas in order to understand how to handle live ones.

This course will be responsible for drawn out country drives, as I get out of the car to pull dead kangaroos by their tails away from the side of the road, and check for orphaned joeys, which I can do as an authorised WIRES volunteer. It has made me look forward to nursing baby birds back to health, of seeing flying foxes take flight for the first time, of restoring nests to the boughs of trees, and educating the public of the differences between a brown snake and a blue tongue lizard. This course has also shown me how little I knew about the wild animals that live around me, such as, why it is so important that native animals are never fed milk or bread (or any complex carbohydrates), and why backyard feeding stations for wild birds (disease stations) should be phased out. This course has also pointed out the gravity of failing to consider our indigenous animals: Over one hundred Australian bird species alone, face extinction in the coming five to fifteen years.

This weekend past, rather than sleeping in until cable TV throws me something decent, I have learnt skills that might very well save an animals life, and have already fulfilled my own. I have scheduled two further appointments for the coming months, one for a training course specialising in flying foxes, as well as the Inner West branch monthly meeting. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested. No experience required, and no particular level of availability necessary. WIRES is a supportive, understanding, and innovative organization, into which I am very grateful to be included. My ID card will be arriving shortly, and if you find yourself facing an indigenous animal in strife, I may well appear to it’s rescue.

Quick stats for this action:

Cost involved: $80-$100 (depending on branch) covers course cost, manual, one year WIRES membership, morning tea, and lunch for two days
Time required: 14 hours (9 – 4 pm Saturday and Sunday)
What to do next: Further training, day trips out to sea to help with research on Australian sea birds, wait for a call from WIRES head office to head out on my first local assignment!

Looking for more information:

WIRES: NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Incorporated Website can be accessed at http://www.wires.org.au

Lloyd, Chris (ed.) Rescue and Immediate Care Manual: WIRES Training (2nd edition) WIRES Inc. and the Environmental Trust, 2005