Regional volunteer organizations dedicated to helping and rehabilitating sick, injured and orphaned wildlife are at risk of limiting their services or halting them altogether.
Key points:
- RRANA cares for animals rescued from the far west.
- It is hopeless for volunteers in different areas.
- The shortage means that their services must be limited.
The Rescue and Rehabilitation of Australian Native Animals (RRANA) is located in Broken Hill but covers a wide area. and up to the Queensland border and midway to Mildura in Victoria.
Membership also extends to many Far West communities such as Tibooburra, Ivanhoe and White Cliffs.
However, RRANA board secretary Helen Semmens said they were now in “Desperate need” of volunteers after membership declines
“We have two of our female members pregnant. about to be a new mother [so] It limits what they can and cannot do in terms of concern,” Ms Semmens said.
“[Then] for our male members One of them is usually away from home for a week at a time… and the other two or three work. So it’s not always busy when needed.”
on its last leg
The shortage has forced some RRANA administrators to fill the management void. including Lindy Hunt, the organization’s president.
“The good outweighs the bad for me. But sometimes it gets tiring with the few of us doing most of the work right now,” Ms Hunt said.
“It was difficult, but we were still together. that’s the important thing And Broken Hill’s generosity to the public always helped. It shows that people care about each other.”
RRANA has now stopped handling the birds and Ms Semmens says this can go on. Unless there are volunteers to pick up more birds.
This means animals in need, such as Kevin the Baby Mole (also known as the Pug) rescued earlier this year from the Menindee flood, may not be able to access rescue services.
“It doesn’t have to be everyone. [needs to] Be a caregiver…not everyone is cut off and it’s not something everyone wants to do,” Ms Hunt said.
“[But] There are many ways you can help. And it doesn’t have to be all day, every day.”
In addition to the new members of the Board of Directors, RRANA is also looking for individuals to assist in fundraising and accepting donations through grant applications.
Those with a tech background are also welcome to help improve their online presence, with the only current site being an obsolete page from the 1990s.
Ms Hunt said she encouraged anyone interested in volunteering to contact them for more information.
“You meet a lot of like-minded people. I made lifelong friends through the group,” she said.