Researchers sound alarm as officials ignore national crisis, force residents to 'pick up the pieces': '[They] take very little interest'

Australia's wildlife rescue system is under strain as disasters linked to increasing global temperatures grow more severe, according to a report by the Guardian. Ken Henry, the chair of Wildlife Recovery Australia, said volunteers are picking up governmental slack when it comes to caring for animals that are left injured.

"As a consequence of these pressures, more and more animals are getting in harm's way. When they get in harm's way, governments take very little interest. So it is left to volunteers to pick up the pieces and get those animals back into the wild," Henry said to the Guardian. 

What's happening?

The Guardian reported that more than 320,000 calls for help were made for sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife in the last financial year, and Henry is calling on the government to introduce national standards for wildlife rescue and rehab. 

Henry told the Guardian that there's a gap between the federal and state levels when it comes to caring for and treating injured wildlife. That rescue work is largely carried out by "underfunded charities and volunteers," according to Lisa Palma, the chief executive of Wildlife Victoria. Dean Huxley of WA Wildlife added that the volunteer workforce has reached such overextension that, without investment, injured wildlife might not have any place to go.  

The Guardian reported that the push for more support comes months after parliament passed a major overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The recruitment for the new head of the environmental protection agency has been open, and the new head is set to begin work in July, as per the report. 

Why is more wildlife support important?

The demand for wildlife rescue support is being driven by habitat destruction and disasters such as bushfires and floods. These events are becoming more severe as temperatures rise. For example, flooding in Kakadu National Park due to rising sea levels and severe weather threatened the community and its ecosystem. Without more governmental support, volunteers are left to help struggling communities alone. 

It's worth noting that NASA has stated that increasing global temperatures are making extreme weather events more severe, and the events act as catalysts for each other. Scientists found that extreme heat or unpredictable weather can lead to worse outcomes during flooding and storms. Building community resilience (like updating power grids) and more resilience funding is crucial for being able to withstand the changes. 

What's being done about biodiversity loss?

The United Nations says the main driver of biodiversity loss is still the way we use our land, like for food production, and that human-caused changes to the climate are a main driver of the decline of biodiversity as species lose their habitats and face extinction. 

Readers interested in getting involved in coordinated solutions can take local action and get involved with policy discussions regarding wildlife protection (and community resilience). Using your voice to contact your government officials is a great way to show solidarity with volunteer wildlife rescue. 

"[Governments have an opportunity to] sit down and work out a way to show leadership," Henry said to the Guardian. 

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