For many people, summer means going outdoors, and if you are lucky, you may find a echidna rustling in the bushes or watching dolphins jump in the waves on the beach.
Key points:
- Slow down and try driving only during the day to prevent the vehicle from colliding with wild animals
- Prepare a wildlife rescue box, including gloves and pillowcases, to help deal with injured wildlife
- After the heat wave and the forest fire, put some water for wild animals outdoors.
However, no matter what you do during the summer vacation, you may not be able to drive.
This involves the possibility of bumping into wildlife, which can cause harm and danger to drivers and passengers, as well as to animals.
Summer also poses other challenges to wildlife, including food and water shortages in drought areas.
There is also the danger of forest fires, and surviving animals need food and water.
Although our native animals have adapted well to the sometimes harsh climate on this vast mainland, they have not evolved or adapted to the changes brought about by climate change.
So how can you help Australian wildlife during this difficult summer?
If you hit an animal, there are a few simple things you can do to help it survive. (Ann Jones)
Wildlife rescue
Call an expert for help that is most likely to survive the injured animal.
Megan Davison (Megan Davidson), head of the Victoria Wildlife Conservation Organization (Wildlife Victoria), said passers-by were not expected to deal with or give first aid to injured animals, but it was usually easy to get in touch with qualified wildlife conservationists or veterinary surgeons.
"it`s important to get the exact location, especially in rural areas, or rescuers may drive many miles without finding animals," Dr. Davison said.
"Today, we ask people to open maps and identify them on their smartphones (to share their location), and it would be helpful if we could wait until rescuers get there."
However, if you plan to take a cross-country trip and there may be signal reception problems on the way, Dr. Davison recommends that you put the numbers of qualified experts on the phone before you leave and search for "Wildlife Rescue" (wildlife rescue) for the nearest service.
Provide water for wild animals
The biggest challenge for wildlife this summer is the lack of food and water, which could be exacerbated by jungle fires and heat waves.
After the fire, Dr. Davison said, people should consider how animals that survive in jungle regeneration will survive.
"people began to talk about `supporting the breeding` of wild animals until the bushes were reborn."
This means providing water for animals that may come near your home, and maybe some food for them, but first consult local wildlife conservationists.
"you have to think carefully about how to do it, because if you put a lot of food, you will attract carnivores and wild animals," Dr. Davison said.
If you meet a burned animal, the best way to do this is to contact the nearest vet or wildlife rescue center, and remember to keep your pet at a certain distance so that the injured animal does not feel more painful.
Don`t touch bats.
Bats are left to professionals to handle (Supplied: David White).
Lemurs or fruit bats are particularly vulnerable to heat waves because they cannot regulate their body temperature to a certain level.
Wildlife rescuers across the country have been busy rescuing hundreds of abandoned or orphaned little fox bats this summer.
According to Dr. Davison, the first thing to do when you encounter a bat that is injured or death is not to touch it.
"people should not touch bats because there is a small probability of being bitten or scratched and infected with the rare Australian bat rabies virus."
"if you can, put a box or a washing basket above the ground and put a sign on it and note that there is a bat here."
Then, you should call the local rescue organization, which will send vaccine vaccinated and trained personnel to collect bats.
If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, wash the wound with soapy water for five minutes and go to the general practitioner`s clinic or emergency room within 24 hours for post-contact vaccine.
Choose to drive during the day and slow down
Like many of the challenges you face during the holiday season (such as last-minute shopping, family gatherings and kitchen nightmares), sometimes you just need to take a breath and slow down.
The same is true of avoiding collision with wild animals, Dr. Davison said.
"Avoid driving at dawn and dusk, when animals start to feed and move around, but also at night..."
There were a lot of accidents killing animals on the roads in Tazhou. Ann Jones.
If you drive along a country path in dim light, you may wonder why there are so many kangaroos and kangaroos on the side of the road that almost make their fate change.
Thomas Newsom (Thomas Newsome), an ecologist at the University of Sydney, says one of the reasons for this is that the roadside is often the only green space in a very dry landscape.
"this is the result of rainfall on the side of the road," Dr. Newsom said.
He warns that because animals do not identify roads as obstacles or threat, they usually cross the road directly.
"what`s more, cars move very fast, faster than any predator these animals have evolved to escape."
Beware of wild animals
It is not difficult to avoid driving at dawn, dusk or night in summer, because the days are longer in summer.
Therefore, keep in mind that in winter, if you do have to drive during these periods, even slowing down a little can minimize the risk of bumping into wild animals.
Don`t think the big bird will fly away soon when the car comes. ABC Open contributor violet344
Some of the most likely accidents involving wildlife accidents in threat may occur between small vehicles and large animals, Dr. Newsom said.
If you`re driving in central or remote australia, be aware that camels pose a risk to drivers. Even in semi-urban areas, wild horses and deer have been hit by cars.
Remember, don`t try to hit the steering wheel in a hurry to avoid hitting an animal.
What if you hit an animal?
If you do hit an animal while driving, there are some things that can be prepared in advance, which will be easier to deal with.
Obviously, emergency services must be called in case of serious accidents, property damage, injuries or animal risk.
Otherwise, if you think you hit an animal, the first thing is to park your car by the side of the road and call wildlife rescuers, Dr. Davison said.
The koala was killed. Supplied: David Hamilton
"usually, these animals need to be euthanized, because otherwise they will have to die slowly."
"if the animal has death, remove it from the road safely. For example, if it is a kangaroo, you can pull its tail to move it."
This is where a small kit can be used in the car, including gloves, hand sanitizer, scissors, safety pins and a pillowcase.
If you don`t have gloves, you can still touch the animals and wash your hands.
Check for kangaroo baby in the pouch.
Because of the increasing drought in New State, kangaroos often go to the roadside for food.
In the case of marsupial animals, the next step is to check for cubs in the bag.
The first step in a kangaroo or kangaroo pouch where a human belly button is located is to look for testicles, because if it`s a male kangaroo, there`s no pouch to check, Dr. Davison said.
The next step is not for timid people.
"if kangaroo baby has fur, open eyes and still stare at your mother`s nipples, you can`t separate it from the mother kangaroo without hurting its mouth," Dr. Davison said.
"in fact, you must cut off the nipples of the mother kangaroo, put the kangaroo baby in a pillowcase, and fasten the pacifier to the pillowcase so that the kangaroo baby will not swallow it.
"it`s hard to do it for the first time, but it`s always exciting to save a life."
If you don`t want to remove kangaroo baby from your pouch, wait for wildlife rescuers to come.
What animal carcasses might attract.
Some animals prey on bodies that kill animals. Contributed: Henry Cook
Killing animals may also have some local effects that you might not have thought of, Dr. Newsom said.
"Dead animals can be a source of food for local predators, such as wedged-tailed eagles, crows and wild dogs."
"but it can also attract boars, foxes and cats."
These predators then block oncoming traffic, especially, if they leave slower like wedged-tailed eagles.
However, there are some less obvious consequences of abandoning animal corpses by the side of the road.
"nutrients may enter the soil, and as corpses break down, they may affect plant growth," Dr. Newsom said.
"it can reproduce weeds or native varieties of grass, depending on what seeds may be in the intestines of the animal."
The potential long-term effect of killing animals (especially when there are more people on the road) is that predators such as wild dogs begin to focus more on cannibalism than hunting.
