Rescue networks built by fire: Saving animals from Australia’s bushfires
NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia — A wallaby with a joey tucked into her pouch grazes beneath towering eucalyptus trees. Black cockatoos wheel overhead, their wailing calls echoing across the green hills of Vanessa Hartley’s property on the South Coast of New South Wales in Australia. A kangaroo bounces away, seeking better forage. The russet and […]
In the aftermath of Australia's catastrophic bushfires in 2019-2020, Vanessa Hartley, a resident of South Coast, New South Wales, was confronted with a daunting task - rescuing animals from the scorched landscape of Jerrawangala National Park. Hartley, who rehabilitates abused and surrendered horses, quickly mobilized her community, rallying support to evacuate her 19 horses before the flames reached them.
Her Facebook plea for assistance was answered within an hour by neighbors and strangers alike, who transported the horses to safety using trucks and horse trailers. Upon returning to her property following the fires, Hartley discovered a new crisis - the surviving wildlife was struggling to find food and water, with the once bustling land now eerily quiet.
Her heart swelled with relief as she spotted a wallaby and another wallaby, but it was soon clear that many more animals were in need of assistance.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
