Fundraiser aims to save wild lives

BANNOCKBURN Wildlife Rescue is running an online GoFundMe campaign to raise money for lifesaving animal rescue equipment.

The registered and volunteer-run local charity has a team of 32 volunteers and is aiming to raise thousands of dollars for vital darting equipment.

“If you can spare even $5 or $10, it will make a real difference between an animal being saved or us not being able to help,” Bannockburn Wildlife Rescue founder and director Angela Sumner said.

The equipment enables the rescuers to sedate and safely secure an injured animal that needs treatment or help, yet is otherwise still able to move fast enough to evade rescue attempts.

“To get funding for it would be amazing,” said Ms Sumner, one of several local wildlife rescuers who travelled to Canberra recently and completed a specialist course in using the darting equipment.

“I think we’re up to about $1500 for our GofundMe but we’re aiming to raise around $10,000 to cover the cost of the darting gun and the kit that goes with it including the cartridges and tranquilising drugs.”

Having locally trained animal rescuers equipped with darting equipment is very helpful in helping many kinds of animals including wildlife and livestock, with rescuers able to assist police or rangers in some instances, including where animals have strayed onto roads and can’t be caught, volunteers said.

The GoFundMe campaign can be found at gofund.me/f65e536cb.

Donations can also be made by direct deposit to BANNOCKBURN WILDLIFE RESCUE LTD, BSB: 633000, Account number: 222426991.