Lifeline for injured wildlife in Inverloch

ON an average Inverloch morning, Linda Pettit has no idea what animal could be waiting in need of her help.

It might be a shorebird tangled in fishing line or a bird stunned after hitting a window.

Perhaps a wombat injured on the roadside, but as Mrs Pettit herself will tell you, “No matter how small they are, they’re all important.”

Mrs Pettit, together with her husband of 45 years Rod, run Bunurong Wildlife Care, a registered wildlife shelter based in Inverloch.

Since retiring, the couple have taken their love for wildlife to the next level as they work closely with local vets to provide both short and long-term care for wildlife including rehabilitation, nurturing and allowing time for maturing.

Mrs Pettit’s modesty regarding her selfless deeds is immediately apparent.

“We are just a normal couple who retired,” she said.

After years of professional work and travel, Mrs Pettit started volunteering as a foster carer about eight years ago, but three years ago both she and Mr Pettit applied to become a licensed shelter, giving them the ability to care for animals themselves as well as train others in the same field.

“The demand is really high,” Mrs Pettit said.

“But the only way to increase the reach of wildlife care is to become a shelter yourself and bring other people through the system.”

Bunurong Wildlife Care now has four registered foster carers and is training at least three more, with several others waiting.

“To me, the best contribution is being a place where people can come, get trained, and then decide how they want to help,” she said.

The shelter covers Inverloch and surrounding areas across Bass Coast and South Gippsland.

They care for all kinds of local species from seabirds and pelicans to wombats, echidnas, possums, kangaroos, wallabies and koalas.

Because of Inverloch’s coastline and waterways, birds injured by fishing line and marine hazards are common.

Others arrive after dog attacks, vehicle collisions or habitat loss pushes them into backyards and roads.

Mrs Pettit spoke about how complacency can quite literally result in deaths.

“People always say their dog would never chase anything, but when a dog sees a koala for the first time, instinct takes over.”

Habitat loss, she said, is forcing animals into closer contact with people, increasing the risk of injury.

Mrs Pettit works closely with local vets and Wildlife Victoria including its travelling veterinary service to assess and treat animals quickly.

She says one of the hardest parts of the job is having to euthanise animals that are too badly injured to survive.

“It is really tough when you have multiple cases in a day,” she said.

Some distressing scenes stay with her, including mothers trying to reach injured young on roadsides.

“The saddest thing is when you see a mother has crossed a road, but a joey has been a bit slow behind her, and the joey gets hit.

“It is gut wrenching, watching the mother crying, trying to pull their joey off the road and get some help.”

But there are also moments that make everything worthwhile.

“The most rewarding part is when they get to go home,” Mrs Pettit said, emphasising Bunurong Wildlife Care’s motto: “Our home for a rest, but their forever home is best.”

Community donations now allow the shelter to say yes more often and support animals through longer rehabilitation.

“We do not stop supporting them when they leave our door,” Mrs Pettit said.

For the Pettits, what began as a small act of volunteering has become a lifeline for wildlife and a quiet service to their community.

And when an animal is finally released back into the wild, Mrs Pettit says it reminds her why they do it, because again, “No matter how small they are, they’re all important.”

If you would like to donate or find out more visit https://bunurongwildlifecare.au/.

If you need emergency wildlife assistance please call Wildlife Victoria on 8400 7300.