Photograph by Peter Hammond
2024 Calendar
Our 2024 calendar is now available!
This is a great gift idea for family and friends and those who love wildlife.
Photograph by Peter Hammond
Latest news
Replace your fruit nets for free
Image: Courtesy of Tolga Bat Hospital
Netting fruit and vegetables can harm native wildlife. Flying-foxes, possums, birds and other wildlife can tangle themselves in netting when the mesh is too big. This can cause serious injuries or death.
ACT Wildlife is swapping ACT residents’ – not businesses’ – non‐wildlife friendly fruit netting for FREE throughout September and October.
Use netting that protects your fruit and our wildlife
To check if your mesh is too big, do the ‘finger test’. If you can easily poke your finger through the mesh of your netting, or any holes in it, then animals could become tangled.
If that sounds like one of your nets, we can replace it for free.
Check our Net Swap Calendar to find out when and where to swap your net. We may make more times available, so keep an eye out for updates.
Net Swap Calendar
ACT Wildlife Jerrabomberra Office, 2 Dairy Road, Fyshwick:
- Thursday 9 November – 11am to 1pm
- Saturday 18 November– 11am to 1pm
- Thursday 23 November – 11am to 1pm
- Saturday 2 December – 11am to 1pm
‘Chough Love’
White Winged Chough (Image: Peter Fullagar)
Birds are the most common species ACT Wildlife receives into care. The main reasons they are in care are due to car strikes, sickness and abandoned babies. So far in 2023 we have cared for approximately 1500 birds and currently there are 154 birds being cared for by our amazing volunteers.
We urgently need more volunteers to assist in caring for these precious animals. ACT Wildlife provides all the training you need and can also provide equipment. You do not need a big backyard, some carers live in apartments and some cages will fit comfortably on patios or balconies.
Find out more how you can become a bird carer with us here.
This link will take you to a fascinating article about White Winge Choughs by Olivia Congdon of ANU who interviewed Professor Rob Heinsohn from the ANU Fenner School Environment and Society. This is just one of the amazing types of birds that live with us in the ACT.
Wildlife Raffle
Aarwun Gallery and award winning pastel artist Janet Thatcher have teamed with ACT Wildlife for a special WILDLIFE RAFFLE!
Every ticket purchased assists ACT Wildlife to Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Release wildlife.
Be a hero by supporting this wildlife RAFFLE, be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
RAFFLE PRIZE:
1. Original pastel painting by Janet Thatcher (framed), valued at $2,500.00. (1 winner)
2. One framing voucher valued at $100.00 from The Framers, Gold Creek. (3 winners)
3. One framing voucher valued at $50.00 from The Framers, Gold Creek. (5 winners)
Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone (Ph: 0499 107 887) or at Aarwun Gallery, the winning tickets will be drawn on 17th Dec 2023.
For ticket purchase please click HERE
(1 ticket for $4.00 or 3 tickets for $10.00)
Janet Thatcher will be exhibiting her work from 23 Nov until 17 Dec at Aarwun Gallery, 11 Federation Square, O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls, ACT
About Us
We are Canberra’s only multi-species wildlife care group in the ACT that rescues, rehabilitates and releases native animals. As a not-for-profit and charity we rely on donations to support the work of our volunteers.
Get Involved
Volunteers are our backbone. We welcome you to help in all aspects of rescue and care of the common species in the ACT including behind the scenes work. Training is provided.
Found an Animal?
Call our 24/7 Hotline
0432 300 033
Gently place the animal in a box with a towel or cloth and keep it warm and quiet. If you are unable to contain the animal, please stay near it and call our hotline with directions for rescue.
Important points:
FLEDGLING BIRDS DO NOT ALWAYS NEED RESCUING
Baby birds come out of their nests and cannot fly well for a few days. They are attended to by their parents during this time. Please watch from a distance and if you do not see parents then they may need to be rescued. This is usually not necessary. Call if you want to report an ‘abandoned’ magpie or bird – 0432 300 033
KEEP YOUR FELINE FRIEND INSIDE
You can love your cat and wildlife too. Under the ACT government’s plan, all new cats obtained by owners after July 1, 2022 will have to be contained, regardless of which suburb they live in.
PLEASE DO NOT FEED BIRDS
Birds, especially magpies are abundant in the ACT. They frequent places where people eat and because people feed them they begin to rely on this (inappropriate) food and demand it.
BIRD NETTING DANGERS
With fruit ripening on trees inappropriate netting traps birds and flying foxes. Netting should have holes that you cannot put your little finger through and be stretched on a frame away from the branches. This means that birds and flying foxes can land and take off from the netting. Otherwise they get hopelessly caught up in loose, sloppy nets. Protecting Wildlife Netting Brochure: Flying foxes should not be touched because of the danger of Lyssavirus, a fatal disease unless you are vaccinated. If you should be bitten or scratched you should attend the hospital emergency clinic immediately and leave rescue of the animal to vaccinated carers with ACT Wildlife.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY POISONING
Poisons used to kill rats and mice are threatening wildlife and their environment. They are also a threat to children and pets with consequences that can lead to death. Read the full document here outlining the dangers and how to reduce the risk.
Meet Billie and Bowie
Orphaned brushtails Billie and Bowie came into care after a rough start.
Billy was found alone and injured, clinging to the base of a tree. While Bowie came into care with cuts and scratches, weighing only 104g.
With some TLC from carers Liezel and Sharon, both boys have recovered from their injuries.
They’ve now graduated from being inside to the outdoor aviary – one step closer to release.