Country Energy goes ‘batty’ with support for
Orphaned Wildlife Enclosures Project

Country Energy and WIRES (Wildlife Information & Rescue Service) have united to help fund a special project for orphaned wildlife across the region.

The Orphaned Wildlife Enclosures Project aims to assist WIRES’ trained members with the rehabilitation of local endangered bats that come into their care.  

Recently Country Energy met with Ashlea Burley and Sharon McGrigor of WIRES to discuss how the utility may be able to help with WIRES’ initiatives. 

Country Energy actively works with WIRES to assist in the rescue of injured bats from overhead powerlines. In recent years, Country Energy’s outdoor workers have helped rescue many bats in distress – often using Country Energy’s elevated work platform vehicles (cherry pickers).

“WIRES is well aware of the negative image bats have amongst some of the public and we saw the assistance from Country Energy as a way to improve the bat profile through public education and improve infrastructure ,” Sharon said.

“We decided our first priority should be to construct suitable enclosures where the bats could be rehabilitated.

“In order to adequately rehabilitate and 'soft release’ bats (and all wildlife)back into the wild, we need to firstly rescue the bats,treat injuries and nuture orphans..

“Correct housing is essential to eliminate disease and stress when they first enter care. Initial housing is in a hospital-type environment before transferral to the comfort of larger semi-release enclosures and finally into ‘creches’.

“Here the bats can gain maximum strength and build muscle tone before beginning their journey to freedom. They also learn the necessary social skills required by community creatures.”

Sharon said WIRES had now reached the point where more suitable wildlife enclosures were required to keep up with the ever-increasing number of animals coming into care. She said that in the past year WIRES received 175 calls about injured bats.

“As all our Northern Rivers bats are threatened or endangered, new enclosures are urgently required”.
 
“Bats are our major pollinators and without them many of our subtropical plant species from the Big Scrub remnants would simply die out.

“They are precious critters in the ecosystem, who have unfortunately been dealt a hard blow by the public. More understanding is required if we are to ensure their survival into the future.”

Country Energy’s regional general manager for the Far North Coast, Brian Glawson, said Country Energy was pleased to be able to assist with such a worthwhile project.

“We are aware of the good work WIRES Northern Rivers does and often our employees are in a position where they are able to help rescue stranded or injured wildlife,” Brian said.

“Unfortunately bats are sometimes injured on our powerlines, so this seems like a valuable way of doing something for our native wildlife.

“Country Energy is a locally based company and we understand the importance of supporting the communities that support us.”

These new enclosures can now be built over the next six months. As an additional positive spin-off  of the project a public education and awareness raising programme will commence with Country Energy's employees.

 WIRES volunteers have proposed to address Country Energy’s vegetation workers on topics such as bat identification, bat handling and rescue, wildlife identification and the use of natural hollow logs by wildlife.

“This project is a great example, showing how like minded groups can work together to achieve wonderful results for our amazing wildlife, “ said Sharon.

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