We at ABR have been stunned, as we all have, at the devastation of the bushfire disaster in Australia. While we normally have a narrow focus on our local bats, we have to share these links for ways to help.
Finding habitat for creches and eventual release of flying foxes will allow their seed dispersal to play a role in restoring the land. But all species have been impacted and finding habitat for release is a major challenge for all working groups.
A NatGeo article describing the devastation is on our blog at https://austinbatrefuge.org/australia/
Bat Conservation and Rescue Queensland just took in a hundred greys from New South Wales on Sat Jan 11th 2020 and another 100 more the next day!
Bats Queensland Is also taking in hundreds of orphaned juveniles coming up from the south.
Wildlife Rescue Queensland Inc is raising funds to creche and release the NSW Greys that have been transported to Queensland.
If you would like to donate please go to https://www.paypal.me/wildliferescueqld…
The Rescue Collective is also doing amazing work for all wildlife and their carers across Australia.
Their donation site is – https://mkc.org.au/donations/trcqld…
This from Sydney Bats 08 Jan 2020 Overseas people may find this is easier to donate to? This goes directly towards the fees to pay for our crèche and release program for the hand raised baby bats and rescued adult bats throughout Sydney and NSW.
Click here ——-> https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/baby-bats-take-flight/
Australian Bat Clinic & Wildlife Trauma Centre Trish & Terry Wimberley, are a Queensland-based bat rehabbers and dear friends.
Batzilla the Bat A self-funded couple rehabilitating flying foxes
Here, from Jannico Kelk, is a list of other Australian orgs that need help.
We have nearly lost this years entire generation of Grey Headed Flying Foxes this year. The majority of this years generation of Grey Headeds died during extreme heat events and as a consequence of smoke pollution. Many of the survivors are in rehabilitation throughout the eastern states. Flying foxes are one of our key pollinators, so by supporting them, you are actively aiding in land restoration. If you are thinking or able to donate to the Australian bushfire disaster, check the orgs below.
Sydney Bats
http://sydneybats.org.au/…
OR
The Shoalhaven Bat Clinic and Sanctuary
https://www.chuffed.org/project/shoalhaven-bat-clinic
OR
Melbourne’s Fly By Night Bat Clinic
https://www.flybynight.org.au/donate.html…
OR
Outer Melbourne’s Wild Days Wildlife Shelter
https://www.facebook.com/wilddayswildlifeshelter/
This shelter covers general wildlife, however they have a lot of threatened Grey Headed Flying Foxes in care.
Zoos Victoria Works to save all species of wildlife and has a Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund
Team Quoll Illawarra & Southern Highlands are creating terrestrial and arboreal water stations, installing nest boxes and creating small mammal refuges in burnt out national parks. Part of the funds will go to the rehabilitation of wombats.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/creating-homes-for-wildlife…
The Nature Foundation SA are working with Glossy Blacks on Kangaroo Island. These guys get no government funding from my understanding. Black Cockatoo Project announced that they estimate that half of Kangaroo Island glossy black habitat has been lost. You can go to their Go Fund Me
https://www.gofundme.com/f/g3en5…
you can buy a shirt from Brisbane Birds who are supporting the Kangaroo Island Glossy Blacks.
http://shop.brisbanebirds.com.au/…/…/Glossy-Black-Cockatoos…
Friends of the Western Ground Parrot desperately need ten automated recording units to try and find remnant populations. Large areas of Cape Arid where Western Ground Parrots persist were burnt out and we need to find them ASAP.
https://www.zoo.org.au/fire-fund/…
Arid Recovery holds a special place in my heart and is undergoing one of the worst droughts in history. In two years they’ve received less than 90 mm of rain. Things are quite dire, Bilby and Burrowing Bettong numbers have dropped. They are in crisis mode and supplementary feeding is now needed.
$10 can provide food for the animals at one feeder for a fortnight.
$30 will cover the cost of carting water to keep water fountains topped up.
$250 will fund detailed monitoring of one stick-nest rat to understand how extreme heat affects them and strategies for giving them refuge from the heat.
https://aridrecovery.org.au/donate/
Team Kowari are studying a very unknown small and endangered dasyurid in the middle of nowhere. We know that trapping results have dropped significantly and they are in trouble.
Any donations would will fund equipment and surveys
https://teamkowari.com.au/…
The Kangaroo Island Dunnart lives on the western side of Kangaroo Island. This is the area that was burnt the most intense and this species key threats include catastrophic fire.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/saving-the-kangaroo-island-dunna…
The Gilbert’s Potoroo Action Group is working with arguably Australia’s most endangered mammal. The Gilberts Potoroo wild population is between 30-40 animals in a 1000 ha area at Mount Gardner, WA. These guys are on the brink of extinction and bushfires obviously do not help their chances.
https://donorbox.org/gilbert-s-potoroo-action-group
Zoos Victoria are working with both species of Corroboree Frog, some of Australia’s most recognisable yet threatened species. Both species were heavily impacted and as of the 07/01/2020 they havent been able to access the research area because of the fire danger.
https://www.zoo.org.au/donate/
If you’re interested in land protection, check out The South Endeavour Trust, who buy up and manage large plots of land that hold threatened species and endangered ecological communities. Three of their properties were completely burnt out and now it’s time to repair. I know for a fact that unlike larger charities and groups that they have very little overheads (like the rest of the groups I listed) and your money will go to conservation.
Here, from Bat World, is another list of organizations desperately trying to help Australian bats at this critical time.
Please donate to them if you can!
The fires in Australia have caused mass bat deaths in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Many groups are rescuing bats and abandoned babies as fast as they can and they are COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED. Shoalhaven Bat Clinic and Sanctuary has taken in dozens of bats daily, 63 on Jan 1st alone, and they just had to evacuate because of the fires. Please help these groups with a donation, they are in critical need! Links below are provided to donate. If anyone knows of another group that should be listed please pm us with the link.
IMPORTANT: It is critical to donate through sites that will provide your money quickly. Some fundraising sites hold the money for two weeks to a month before releasing it to the rescuers. The links below enable funding immediately or within days.
ShoalHaven:
https://shoalhaven-bat-clinic-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/we-need-urgent-help
Urgent help needed! Please donate to help this group save Grey-headed flying foxes.
Wires:
https://www.wires.org.au/donate/emergency-fund
They rehab all wildlife species. So although all wildlife are suffering, if you intend to donate to fruit bats, make sure to note that your donation should go to Flying Fox Relief.
Rescue Collective:
Rescue Collective/ARC Bushfire Animal Rescue Sponsors
Fly by Night:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/bats-have-suffered-the-catastrophic-heat
Wildlife in Need of Care NSW (takes paypal):
http://www.wildlifeinneedofcare.org.au/donate
Wildlife Rescue Queensland Inc:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/wildliferescueqld
Wildlife rescuers & carers in Gippsland:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/gippsland-flying-foxes-need-your-help
Townsville Bat Carers:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/flyingfoxhelp
Ku-ring-gai Bat Conservation Society:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=rx0NJxR5j3rDPhKXM-dEa-cZkbNHIaAPi18csCwYJ-E4WG6fTg2WnqW-6FfHvJcQru80FW&country.x=AU&locale.x=AU&fbclid=IwAR3z4IYc1HtZCbSazV2rbqhUzcz2g4ezuYnyMZQTu8-OuQPX5SJexp9VM38