Aerial Food Drops in Buchan and Malacoota Areas
Our wildlife need our support and that is exactly what we are doing. Weather permitting, aerial food drops will begin in bushfire affected areas today.
Over the past several weeks, the Government has been considering supplementary feeding for threatened species in targeted areas when it’s appropriate and safe to do so. Up until now, authorities have not been able to assess struggling populations of wildlife, by air, due to smoke.
Preparations for aerial food drops will begin in bushfire affected areas today, weather permitting. A reconnaissance flight this morning will determine the best place to drop the food around the Buchan and Mallacoota areas.
The Government is taking this matter very seriously and has been seeking advice from experts in Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning. These fires are unprecedented and are having a devastating effect on our wildlife and biodiversity.
There are more than 1,200 vertebrate animals and over 5000 plant species native to Victoria – some of these are found only in areas affected by the bushfires.
The Government immediately moved to make available grants of up to $1,000 to shelters and foster carers assisting with the care and rehabilitation of native wildlife impacted by the fires. Additional supplementary food is also being provided to teams on the ground in Mallacoota. This is in addition to $200,000 already made available to wildlife rehabilitators, this financial year, to support their operations.
Mobile Wildlife Triage Units were setup as soon as possible and are currently in place at Bairnsdale, Mallacoota and Corryong along with Wildlife Assessment Teams working on fire grounds based out of Bairnsdale, Orbost and the Budj Bim fire complex.
As we get a clearer understanding of the numbers and locations of bushfire affected wildlife across the state, additional wildlife teams and triage units will be deployed to where they are needed most. The Government is working with experts from the Australian Veterinary Association, Zoos Victoria, the RSPCA, the University of Melbourne Veterinary School, Phillip Island Nature Parks, and Wildlife Victoria, along with on-the-ground assessment teams to support a coordinated state-wide response.
In order to minimise the risk of creating other issues, Zoos Victoria are providing special macropod pellets to ensure diet compatibility. Supplementary feeding is most beneficial for common species such as kangaroos and wallabies as well as their threatened cousins the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby.