Healing Hearts and Saving Wombats: Join Us In Our Fight Against Mange Disease
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Why Wombats?
Because everyone deserves healthy skin!
It has been challenging in the past few years, to say the least. Facing a global pandemic was tough, and at times, all consuming. As a result, it has been all too easy to lose sight of the natural disasters we've faced.
First a long, long drought … then the terrible bushfires of 2019/2020. When we thought it couldn’t get any worse, that was followed up with extensive and ongoing floods. We were all affected in one way or the other, but let's not forget the devastating effect these weather events have had, and still have to this day, on our beautiful native wildlife.
Whilst drought, bushfire and flooding has had a disastrous effect on Wombats that is not the worst they have to face. Wombats are also becoming overrun with sarcoptic mange, a mite that causes the worst suffering any species has ever endured. Without treatment they face a slow, agonising death.
The Sarcoptic mite was introduced to Australia with white settlement. Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious skin disease and causes intense itching, severe irritation, hair loss and thickening of the skin in the form of plaques. Once infected, the wombat will scratch and bite at the affected areas trying to get relief but this inevitably leads to further damage to the skin and secondary bacterial infections. The mite is easily transmitted from one wombat to another either through direct contact or by sharing burrows or bedding. It is estimated that up to 90% of our wombat population is infected.
Right now there is little-to-no government funding and the majority of the fight against the mange mite is left up to volunteer wildlife welfare organisations. Apart from all the time they put in, the running of vehicles (how expensive is fuel these days?), the cost of treatment, feed for those in ongoing care, it all comes out of their own pocket.
We want to support these wildlife warriors in the fight to save our wombats. If we don’t take immediate action we are going to lose this amazing animal to history.
Today, the 22nd October is World Wombat Day! (Yep, it’s a thing!) We are kicking off our annual fundraiser to purchase mange treatment. One batch costs over $1000 which can treat around 35 wombats.
Please, please, please give generously! Remember, as wrong as it all is, there is no ongoing government funding. So much of our native wildlife is in crisis. Imagine if we let any of these native species slip into extinction on our watch.
We have a deep love for all animals and we celebrate the beauty of these iconic Aussie natives who are gentle, intelligent and resilient.
Thank you for your support, we are so grateful xx
How to donate:
- Cash - pop into the clinic to make a cash donation
- Online - use this link to donate through PayPal
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