Wildlife Rescuers will run a native wildlife rescue and transport training session for beginners in Wallan after its previous instalment in July sold out within a week.
The Doreen-based volunteer-run organisation rescues and rehabilitates native animals through a network of carers, and hosts training sessions for all levels of animal rescue experience and species.
The basic training session, aimed at beginners, will cover what to do if people discover an animal in need of care, and handling and transporting injured, sick and displaced possums, birds, echidnas and lizards.
It will also teach attendees how to safely check if an injured marsupial is carrying a joey, and who to call or what to do if they come across a deceased animal on the road.
“It’s about how wildlife rescue works as sort of an overview,” committee member Jayson Cameron said.
“It talks about the types of equipment they might need, how a rescue might go, and how to engage with members of the public.”
It will be the third time the group has hosted a session in Wallan, normally operating in Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs.
“The reason we’re doing the training in Wallan is that there is a bit of gap in rescuer availability in that area,” Mr Cameron said.
“It’s an opportunity to educate the public into what we do, and what to do if they see and injured animal in their own time.”
Mr Cameron said the previous session was so popular they had to put interested locals on a waiting list.
He said the team was grateful to the community for their strong interest.
“We found a venue in Wallan, they kindly offered the space for us to use so it’s just a great opportunity that we can try and get different areas involved,” he said.
The event will be from 10am to 4pm on October 2, at Hidden Valley Resort, and registration is essential.
The session is $50 for adults and $40 for concession card holders, plus a booking fee.
