By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
THE enduring image of a fire-fighter offering bottled water to a bushfire-ravaged koala is part of the inspiration behind a local Wildlife Victoria fundraiser.
Leopold Pet Hospital vet Ashley Kai said he had seen first-hand the devastating effects of bushfires on native animals while working in Gippsland during the Black Saturday fires in 2009.
“I saw so many burned animals, gliders, lizards, wallabies, you name it. The images stay with you,” Dr Kai recalled.
“Native animals become collateral damage, because those fires were deliberately lit. But they have no recourse; they just have to deal with whatever nature throws at them.”
The memories inspired Dr Kai to organise an open day at Leopold Pet Hospital, raising more than $1100 for Wildlife Victoria.
“The open day was a huge success, with guided tours of the clinic, demonstration surgery on teddy bears along with visits from the local fire brigade and the Bellarine Dog Activity Group with their trick dogs,” he said.
“Leopold Lions Club also provided a fantastic sausage sizzle and drinks for the crowd.
“I was blown away by the generosity of everyone involved and it’s great to know the community is behind causes like this.”
Dr Kai said every time he heard of a bushfire it brought back the memories of Black Saturday.
“It scares me every time I hear of a fire, it brings back those days and I feel for the animals and the people who have to help them.
“This year’s fires were pretty bad and there were lots of animals hurt again. You can only do so much as one practice, but we wanted to try and do a bit more.”
Wildlife Victoria is a not-for-profit volunteer group giving injured animals another chance at life.
