WIRES searching for more carers

KATINA CURTIS

IN A back yard overlooking East’s Beach, Albert and Archie spend their days barrelling around, digging and occasionally knocking over the wheelbarrow.

The pair are orphaned wombats and will spend about 15 months in the back yard of WIRES carer Lorraine Toohey.

Mrs Toohey has been a volunteer with the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service for 10 years.

As well as the two baby wombats, she also has an adult wombat, a tiny wallaby joey and a kangaroo joey – and she said this was quiet for wildlife carers.

“I’ve always liked animals and when we retired down here I saw the ad for WIRES to become a volunteer and the rest is history,” she said.

Fellow carer Sandra Leonard, who co-ordinates the flying fox caring program, had a similar story.

“There are some really exhilarating times when you watch a bird or a flying fox fly up into a tree for the first time,” she said.

However, both agreed the organisation was in desperate need of new carers.

She said they were also looking for people willing to care for snakes, but would be able to find tasks for everyone wanting to help.

Mrs Leonard said it was important for people wanting to be carers to have a telephone landline, not just a mobile, and that it would be ideal to have your own transport.

To become a carer, you need to first complete a rescue and immediate care course, after which you can rescue most animals except flying foxes and snakes and care for birds.

WIRES is running one of these courses on July 5 and 6 at the Ribbonwood Centre in Dapto.

For more information about WIRES or to book into the rescue and immediate care course, contact Margaret on 4272 5563 or Cathy on 4256 6449.