Get Involved

Volunteer Carer

Pilbara Wildlife Carers responds to over 5,000 emergency calls each year using the amazing volunteer network supporting our service. With an increase in mining in the Pilbara the need for our services never diminishes and we are constantly in need of new volunteers to respond to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife.

To be eligible for volunteering with Pilbara Wildlife Carers Association you must be 18 years or older, however juniors are welcome so long as they are under the guidance of their parents. Listed below are some other considerations prior to becoming a wildlife carer.

So you would like to become a wildlife carer...

Please be aware that all joeys need to be handed into care to be stabilised and properly assessed before being handed over to a carer for raising. This is absolutely vital. Before signing up there are a few questions you need to consider as caring for any native fauna is a big commitment.

What are your work and family commitments?

All existing carers have partners, children, pets and jobs and still find the time needed to care for wildlife. Are you able to do this? Depending on the age of the animal you will need to provide regular spaced feed times and not leave it for hours if you are busy. Normally night feeding is not required. Birds require hourly to four hourly feeding during the day.

Do you have children?

Having a house full of young children that love to run and play can be too stressful for joeys. Stress can lead to many disorders but most commonly diarrhoea, which leads to a nutritionally compromised joey and may even result in the demise of the animal. For this reason we prefer homes where the children are 8 years of age upwards.

Do you own or own house or are you in rental accommodation?

If you are in rental accommodation you will need to get written permission from your landlord.

Do you have a big enough yard to house the animals?

You need enough space for young animals to be able to hop around as well as some grass or lawn where they can graze. They need sheltered areas where they can retreat from the weather.

What type of yard do you have?

A yard that is immaculate will not remain so in 8-12 months of having a kangaroo in care. Plants and trees need to be protected or parts of the yard need to be sectioned off to prevent the yard being eaten. Anything left unprotected will be eaten! As kangaroos grow so does the amount of pooh, and regular pooh patrols are need in order to keep the accumulation of pooh under control and maintain a healthy living environment for humans and animals alike. Red kangaroos like to dig holes to lay in.

Do you have other pets?

Dogs have proven unreliable when left alone with a joey. We do not advocate raising joeys where there are big dogs that use the back yard. There are packs of dogs in the wild and joeys need to grow up knowing to be scared of dogs. Cats and joeys are not ideal either and it is important to have a cat that uses a litter box and that must be kept away from joeys to prevent them getting toxoplasmosis. Cats are also a problem if you are wanting to care for birds. Existing carers ensure they have good practices when managing their pets and wildlife.

Do you go away regularly on holidays or long weekends?

It is not a good idea to volunteer as a carer if you like getting away on a regular basis. Constantly leaving the animal with different carers while you are away is not in the animals best interest. Going away on a family holiday is possible with thought and planning.

Can you afford to care?

To have a couple of animals in care for between 6-12 months can be an expensive exercise. Milk, grain, bottles and teats need to be bought throughout this time. Plus the initial outlay for bags and pouches.

Are you able to raise and release?

Are you prepared to raise the joeys and have them as part of your life for up to a year and then still be prepared to let them go when it is time to for them to be released? Many people have problems letting go of the kangaroo they have raised when the time comes. Please consider this as it is vital that you know and understand that the kangaroo will be released at approx 15 to 18 months of age. Failure to release the kangaroo could result in the animal being removed from your care by the Department Parks and Wildlife.

Are you willing to take on two joeys at a time of the same species and of similar age?

Joeys need to grow up and imprint on another kangaroo, and not on its human carer. They need to grow up know that they are kangaroos. To this end we pair joeys up to be raised together and then released together. This gives them a play mate as they grow.

If you believe you have considered everything mentioned above and would still like to become a carer we would love to hear from you, please get in touch with us.

Volunteer Helper

Areas where help is needed

There are many other ways you can help Pilbara Wildlife Carers that does not involve caring for an animal. Below you’ll find some information on areas where help is needed. These include the making joey pouches and hot boxes, two incredibly useful items for our volunteer rescuers and carers.

Joey Pouches

Are you good at sewing? We would love you to make pouches to keep our little joeys safe and warm. Our volunteer carers put in so much time and effort into caring for these precious creatures, but most don’t have time to sew the pouches that are required. If you, or your craft group can help with making some pouches, please get in touch for instructions on how to make the kangaroo bags.

Hot Boxes

Do you or your friends have basic woodwork skills? Making hot boxes is a great way to give rehabilitating babies a home. Volunteer carers are able to raise baby birds in hot boxes until such time as they are able to generate their own body heat. Hot boxes are also used for the rehabilitation of injured reptiles. Please contact us for instructions on how to make a hot box.

Administrative positions

Help and assistance is always needed. We are always looking for people to help with Administrative work.

• Macropod Coordinator - looking for someone with kangaroo experience to fulfill this role.

If you have an idea for a project or just want some more information on the above activities please don’t hesitate to contact us at Pilbara Wildlife Carers Association.

Fundraise For Us

Fundraising

Individuals

Are you passionate about our precious wildlife?

Do you have a flair for organising fundraising events or other fundraising initiatives?

Fundraising can go towards a specific species – such as Turtles, or a specific project. We'd love to hear your ideas for raising much needed funds for Pilbara Wildlife Carers Association Incorporated.

We don't always have the resources to undertake all the fundraising activities we'd like to, so we need your help! Schools, community groups, businesses and individuals can all fundraise on behalf of Pilbara Wildlife Carers Association.

Fundraising can be as simple as holding a sausage sizzle at work.

Business and Industry

Fundraising can be as simple as donating the proceeds from the sale of cans of drinks, or a sausage sizzle, a quiz night.

If you are planning an event or other fundraising initiative, please contact us.

Volunteer Rescuers

Volunteer Rescuers and Transporters

Become a Friend of Pilbara Wildlife Carers and have your logo on our website with a link to your website.

Individuals

Are you passionate about our precious wildlife but are not able to care for fauna?

Do you have the ability to rescue and overnight care and/or transport fauna into care?

Pilbara Wildlife Carers needs the assistance of individuals who are able to help rescue and transport injured fauna into care.

Due to the vast area we cover we are always in need of people to help provide transport from outlying areas to Karratha/Dampier.

Examples of this can be a Loggerhead turtle that is too big to be flown to Exmouth and needs to be transported by road, or stock supplies that need to be transported to, or from Perth, Carnarvon and Hedland.