The Richmond Wildlife Shelter
Most people expect wildlife shelters to be in the country but this shelter set in Melbourne’s inner city suburb is one of Victoria’s busiest.
In spring the shelter can take up to 4 to 5 orphaned or injured brushtail and ringtail (pictured) possums a day. Among the possums are many orphaned native ducklings, and Tawny Frogmouths. During a heat wave this can escalate to 10 to 20 a day.
These little guys are all orphaned from cat attacks. YOU CAN HELP prevent this by keeping your cats indoors at night. Cat runs are becoming a very popular chioce for people who want to enjoy their cats and their wildlife and find that their cats are better off.
By being contained they can enjoy the outdors and laze in the sun but are safe from car accidents and from cat fights that can cause them serious infections, injuries and diseases.
Cat runs are available from Catnip Modular Cat Enclosures or Cat Enclosures & Netting.
Possums become orphaned mainly due to cat attacks and road accidents. Thousands of native animals and birds are killed every year from attacks by domestic and feral cats
leaving the mother dead or very badly injured.
Unfortunately most native animals do not recover well from these puncture wounds. Ring Tail Possums are very social and creative creatures they live in small family groups and build nests called dreys. Their call is described as a soft, high pitch, insect-like chirruping.
They are smaller and less
robust than the Brushtail possum and therefore more prone to attacks. Brushtail possums are larger and make a rather fierce growling noise and have the ability to scare away predators more easily than Ringtails although they still suffer from cat attacks and car accidents.
Possums, particularly Ringtails are also very sensitive to hot weather, so if you have possums in your garden please leave them out some water on hot days and during heat waves.
Leaving Water Out for our Native Wildlife is Vital this Summer!
With the summer season already here, it is important to remember that we can all support our wildlife during the hot weather by offering  them fresh clean water.
Wildlife Victoria advises not to offer food to wildlife in order to avoid an unbalanced diet, human dependency, exposure to predation, unnatural behaviour, spread of diseases, etc.
The best way to offer natural food and shelter to our native animals is by planting our gardens, parks, schools and open spaces with indigenous plants, which are the local natives to each particular area.
Offering water, however, is recommended particularly during hot days. Some simple guidelines when putting out water are:
- Place water containers at different heights and sizes for different species of animals: Ground level: skinks, lizards, echidnas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, etc. Bird baths on pedestals: birds Higher level/trees: possums, gliders, birds, bats, etc.
- Place rocks or branches inside the water containers to help small animals that may fall into the water to get out and avoid drowning.
- Make sure the water container is properly secured so it doesn’t tip over if the animals step on it in order to drink.
- Place the water containers in a shady and safe area, accessible for the wildlife, far from pets that may hurt or hunt the wildlife.
- Top up and change the water regularly to ensure a constant supply of fresh clean water.
- Ringtail possums are particularly vulnerable during hot days, so it is important to keep an eye on them.
Dehydration and burnt paws are very common during hot days. When encountering animals affected by hot weather, contact your local Shelter or Vet or call the emergency line for further assessment and treatment.
<
span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">In the mean time, put the animal in a safe container in a cool, well ventilated, dark and quiet area. Offer water and place a wet towel on top to help cool it down.
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