WE always hang our wet umbrella on our verandah until it is dry.
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I then roll it up, fasten it with the velcro strip, and put it away. Nothing wrong with that you might say - I would have said the same thing too until an experience several years ago!
When the umbrella was next opened, out fell a mummified frog, which had been trapped in the folds of the umbrella when I rolled it up! I was (and still am) horrified, and feel so guilty.
Needless to say, we now always open the umbrella up and check for frogs before putting it away!
I guess even tiny skinks could hide in it too – another reason to check.
However, there are other hazards to our wildlife that are not initially obvious, but just as deadly.
A couple that are particularly relevant in a rural community such as ours are buckets and hollow steel fence posts.
‘Buckets and hollow fence posts?’
I hear you say, ‘how can they be hazardous to wildlife?’
Well, here are a couple of examples:
Buckets
A fellow wildlife carer retrieved some buckets that had been stored under their house.
They were horrified to find one of them contained the partly dried out skeleton of a Blue-tongued Lizard, which had fallen in and was unable to get out.
We had a similar experience a few years back – but in this instance it was a microbat.
What a horrible way to die – just the simple act of turning the buckets over and storing them upside down would have prevented this from happening.
Hollow steel fence posts
A young possum fell head first into a hollow steel gatepost.
Fortunately the property owner heard its distress calls and we were able to retrieve poss none the worse for wear – but another lesson learned – put caps on all hollow metal posts!
One shudders to think of all the creatures that have died horrible, slow deaths down these posts.
Our wildlife is under great pressure as a result of human activities, many of which are beyond our control.
However, with a little thought and effort, as individuals we CAN make a difference, albeit it a small one.
Remember, a lot of people doing a little bit adds up to a big bit!
Should you need advice or help with injured or distressed wildlife, and are in the Southern Tablelands area, please ring our Branch Rescue Number on 4822 3888.
Our volunteers will be only too happy to assist.
If you are elsewhere please ring the WIRES main rescue number on 1300 094 737.
