By Natasha Fujimoto
SKILLED in all areas of wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release, Bohollow Wildlife Shelter plays a standalone role, covering most of northern Victoria with its 24-hour rescue service as well as supporting other rescue centres state-wide with its specialist birds of prey and macropod care facilities.
Operating out of Bunbartha and Kotupna, Bohollow also houses captive-bred animals for its education program, which seeks to inform the public on how to assist injured native animals until help arrives.
Despite all the vital work undertaken, and never with less than a hundred animals in her care, Kirsty Ramadan’s shelter at Bunbartha, was hard hit by last year’s floods.
Taking care of a terminally ill friend and volunteer at the time, and with two children of her own, Kirsty said that she had only 24-hours’ notice before her 34-acre property was inundated by floodwater, which came from two directions.
Describing a frantic evacuation of loved ones, animals and birds to a designated site near Tallygaroopna, Kirsty said she is forever grateful to community members who came to sandbag her home, which by a combination of luck and handwork, she said, was thankfully saved.
With one-metre flood waters lingering for a month before receding, however, irreparable damage ensued, with enclosures being destroyed and new projects, such as a 100m, ‘flying fit’ structure for raptors, being destroyed.
Used for birds of prey to regain their full-strength before release, the loss of this enclosure and others has significantly delayed bird and animal release dates, with critters having to stay in smaller enclosures for longer.
Despite myriad setbacks, however, including Kirsty contracting Ross River virus, Bohollow’s important work continues, but assistance is always appreciated.
If you would like to support Bohollow Wildlife Shelter’s ongoing recovery, please head to www.bohollowwildlife.com to donate, or you can provide much needed towels, blankets or doonas for sick and injured animals by calling Kirsty on 0447 636 953.
