A sanctuary burned, but the work goes on

When flames tore through the Carlisle River Wildlife Shelter, only the house was left standing.

Shelter operator Carola Anstis, who has cared for injured and orphaned wildlife on her 53-hectare property for 26 years, lost almost everything when the Gellibrand fire swept through.

“It took all of the shelter except for the house and our two rehabilitation rooms right beside it,” she said.

Anstis had already evacuated earlier this summer when lightning struck nearby, taking her animals to one of her wildlife carers.

Days after returning, she saw smoke rising from her neighbour’s paddock, and evacuated again. Within hours, the fire was at her door.

“We’ve probably lost a lot of the wildlife we’d released and a lot of the local animals as well,” she said.

“It’s heartbreaking, but our plan has always been to leave… the property just isn’t defendable.”

Shelter operator Carola Anstis said she was glad to have already evacuated most of the shelter’s animals. She only had to evacuate with two when danger struck for the second time. Photo: CAROLA ANSTIS

Over two decades, the shelter has been evacuated five times, often taking many animals with them.

Fortunately, having taken many animals to a carer earlier in the week, the load was lighter when Anstis left for the second time this summer.

“Luckily, we only had two in care so we could pack them straight into the ute,” she said.

As injured animals begin to emerge from the fireground, Anstis expects her costs to climb as the shelter continues to provide all the care it can.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help rebuild the shelter’s aviaries and pay for medication and burn creams.

“Once we start getting animals in, the costs go up straight away,” she said.

Many wallabies had been released on to the property in 2025. Anstis says she thinks many of them will have died in the blaze. Photo: CAROLA ANSTIS

“Eventually we hope to use donations to rebuild our facilities.”

But clearing the fire-affected land could take months.

“Dead trees need bulldozing before we can rebuild the kangaroo and wallaby runs,” she said.

“If we can get everything under way within six months, that would be wonderful.”

Despite the devastation, there is some relief.

“At least the house is still there,” Anstis said. “That’s somewhere to start.”

Animals Australia is sending teams this week to search for injured wildlife and Anstis urges anyone who finds animals in need near the fire zone to contact local shelters or vets and to remember to prioritise their own safety in these areas.

“The network between carers is strong,” she said. “Everyone’s helping each other – that’s what keeps us going.”