News about TORRN's future.... |
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Please note that a Special Resolution was passed at our recent AGM to voluntarily cancel all formal accreditations and divest our assets to the Darling Range Wildlife Shelter. This will reduce the red tape that comes with running a small charity and will allow our carers to spend more time doing what they love – rescuing and rehabilitating sick and displaced turtles working alongside the awesome folk at DRWS!
A huge THANK YOU to all those who have supported us over the years - we have been heartened by the generosity of people who have helped make our work possible. The Darling Range Wildlife Shelter also gratefully accepts donations. All of the reasons outlined below remain true and we encourage you to donate to DRWS or other not-for-profit wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisations. |
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Why donate?
Like most wildlife rehabilitation groups, we are unfunded and run by volunteers. Wildlife rehabilitation work is unfunded, relying on donations, sporadic grants and grass roots fundraising. Most wildlife care in Australia is funded from household budgets by ordinary people carrying out extraordinary work to help save and preserve our unique wildlife.
Out of sight, and out of mind; turtles have been, until now, the forgotten wildlife.
It’s commonly said that turtles are bombproof; that they can survive anything. Once this may have been true - before we began to upset the balance by causing habitat loss through urban development which prevents traditional and safe migration patterns, pollution of lakes, a dropping water table due to our use of underground aquifers and climate change which is altering weather patterns.
Most wildlife centres would normally see half a dozen turtles a year; trauma (dogs, cars and machinery) victims and found hatchlings. With the unprecedented rescue of over 100 debilitated turtles in a short time during the very hot summer of 2010/2011, it was realised just how little we knew about turtles. Whilst we’ve learned a lot from last Summer’s experience we are well aware of just how much more we need to learn about these complex creatures.
We anticipate that the events of last Summer will occur more frequently in future. Before then, we aim to prepare for another such occurance by providing training for vets and rehabilitators, community information sessions, establishing husbandry guidelines and working toward coordinating rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
Whilst, like most wildlife rehabilitators, we’re good at scrounging, begging and operating on a shoestring we do need money.
Like most wildlife rehabilitation groups, we are unfunded and run by volunteers. Wildlife rehabilitation work is unfunded, relying on donations, sporadic grants and grass roots fundraising. Most wildlife care in Australia is funded from household budgets by ordinary people carrying out extraordinary work to help save and preserve our unique wildlife.
Out of sight, and out of mind; turtles have been, until now, the forgotten wildlife.
It’s commonly said that turtles are bombproof; that they can survive anything. Once this may have been true - before we began to upset the balance by causing habitat loss through urban development which prevents traditional and safe migration patterns, pollution of lakes, a dropping water table due to our use of underground aquifers and climate change which is altering weather patterns.
Most wildlife centres would normally see half a dozen turtles a year; trauma (dogs, cars and machinery) victims and found hatchlings. With the unprecedented rescue of over 100 debilitated turtles in a short time during the very hot summer of 2010/2011, it was realised just how little we knew about turtles. Whilst we’ve learned a lot from last Summer’s experience we are well aware of just how much more we need to learn about these complex creatures.
We anticipate that the events of last Summer will occur more frequently in future. Before then, we aim to prepare for another such occurance by providing training for vets and rehabilitators, community information sessions, establishing husbandry guidelines and working toward coordinating rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
Whilst, like most wildlife rehabilitators, we’re good at scrounging, begging and operating on a shoestring we do need money.
How will donations be used?
EMERGENCY HOUSING
Providing emergency housing set-ups for loan to wildlife centres and individual rehabilitators (220l tubs, water filters, water heaters).
MEDICATIONS
Turtles as reptiles have a slow metabolism; healing is slower than for mammals and birds. Contrarily, considering the degraded state of metropolitan lakes, turtles in care are susceptible to a variety of water-borne bacterial infections. The antibiotic of choice for turtles is not expensive but by the time you’ve added the cost of syringes and needles and multiplied that by any number of turtles, it all adds up. A turtle requiring antibiotics needs a course of 14 injections over seven weeks.
IN-HOUSE VETERINARY BLOOD TESTING
Whilst we are grateful to enjoy the generous support of the Veterinary community who provide their expertise free of charge, we do pay for consumables and outsourced testing. A simple blood test can give us an idea (blood protein and fluid levels) of the turtle’s state health which can’t be determined by an external examination. Ideally, we would like to blood test all turtles admitted to establish baseline data.
IMAGING
Any trauma case requires an X-ray, and some females may need an x-ray determine whether they’re carrying eggs.
CONSUMABLES
Turtles with shell infections require, as well as an extended course of antibiotics, 3 x daily treatments with Chlorhexadine and Flamazine, costing $20 and $110 for 50g and 500g respectively. Waterproof dressings may be needed twice daily, along with pain relief.
FOOD
Sick animals like sick people need good food to aid their recovery. Whilst we aim to replicate natural diets for animals in rehabilitation it’s not always feasible. In rehabilitation we feed turtles human grade whitebait, prawns, sardines, premium beef mince (all enriched with additional nutrients) and Reptile Mix jellies. Reptile mix is a commercial product designed to supplement the diet of captive reptiles.
Providing emergency housing set-ups for loan to wildlife centres and individual rehabilitators (220l tubs, water filters, water heaters).
MEDICATIONS
Turtles as reptiles have a slow metabolism; healing is slower than for mammals and birds. Contrarily, considering the degraded state of metropolitan lakes, turtles in care are susceptible to a variety of water-borne bacterial infections. The antibiotic of choice for turtles is not expensive but by the time you’ve added the cost of syringes and needles and multiplied that by any number of turtles, it all adds up. A turtle requiring antibiotics needs a course of 14 injections over seven weeks.
IN-HOUSE VETERINARY BLOOD TESTING
Whilst we are grateful to enjoy the generous support of the Veterinary community who provide their expertise free of charge, we do pay for consumables and outsourced testing. A simple blood test can give us an idea (blood protein and fluid levels) of the turtle’s state health which can’t be determined by an external examination. Ideally, we would like to blood test all turtles admitted to establish baseline data.
IMAGING
Any trauma case requires an X-ray, and some females may need an x-ray determine whether they’re carrying eggs.
CONSUMABLES
Turtles with shell infections require, as well as an extended course of antibiotics, 3 x daily treatments with Chlorhexadine and Flamazine, costing $20 and $110 for 50g and 500g respectively. Waterproof dressings may be needed twice daily, along with pain relief.
FOOD
Sick animals like sick people need good food to aid their recovery. Whilst we aim to replicate natural diets for animals in rehabilitation it’s not always feasible. In rehabilitation we feed turtles human grade whitebait, prawns, sardines, premium beef mince (all enriched with additional nutrients) and Reptile Mix jellies. Reptile mix is a commercial product designed to supplement the diet of captive reptiles.
