• Ringtail possum babies Lucy and Luca
Wildlife rescues, Chippendale/Darlington
Photos and story
by
Julie Moffat, Wires Inner West volunteer
The week of 6 to 12 March 2023
The weather this week has been mostly hot and dry, the temperatures going to higher 30 deg C range.
This weather may be a factor why there were so many calls to Wires for baby ringtail possum rescues.
I write this with thanks to caring locals who contain the animal, keep it safe, make the call for wildlife rescue, and thanks to the volunteer wildlife carers who attend the rescue.
All these give native animals a chance of survival in the city.
Here are 5 babies and 4 stories to share from the past week. All are from the Chippendale/ Darlington area near Cleveland Street in the inner city of Sydney, NSW.
All babies are now in care and doing well. They have been separated from or lost their mums, and will stay in care until reaching release age/weight, approximately 8 months age/450g weight.
The animals are registered with a call number, and while in care we give them a name, usually to acknowledge the caring person who has found them and called for wildlife rescue. They are buddied with other ringtails in care of similar weight, then released together as a pod.
Babies Lucy and Luca are in the photo above.
These babies were rescued by Lucy on Abercrombie St, Chippendale. Lucy saw Mum was dead, and checked her pouch to find 2 babies wet and shivering. Lucy took the babies to the Erskineville vet. The vet dried and warmed them, then called Wires for a carer, and I answered the call.
They weighed 66g, approximately 90-95 days old. Note Luca’s tightly curled tail, a sign he is quite scared
• Baby Jacqui, weighing in at 233 grams
Jacqui was found by Jacqui in the gutter on Cleveland Street, Chippendale, and trying to cross the busy road.
Jacqui was heading to work but stopped, emptied her lunch out of her cloth bag, using the bag to contain this little ringie and keep her safe, called for wildlife rescue, then took her to a local friend and neighbour Zoe on Pine St before heading off to work.
Jacqui is 233g, approx. 6 months old and almost weaned.
• Linda
Linda was found on the ground on a side path on Thomas St, Chippendale, and was in hot sun.
Mother ringtail at the time was on the roof. At the time of rescue baby Linda had climbed the downpipe against the wall and was on a conduit. We could not locate Mum to try to reunite her baby, so Linda is now in care.
• Linda, tail tightly curled
Linda is 109g, approx. 4 months old.
Photo above, at the time she is rescued - you see her tail tightly curled as she is very scared.
• Linda on a horizontal conduit
• Baby Zoe
Zoe was found on the ground in Peace Park by a young man Alex working on the park upgrade project.
Zoe was being swooped by birds.
Alex contained her and called Wires. He was only on site until 3.30pm and I wasn’t able to get back before then.
Thankfully local resident Zoe was again very accommodating, met with Alex to pick up baby ringtail, and then dropped her to me at home. Zoe is 144g, approx. 5 months old
About WIRES
Wildlife carers are all volunteers, and are licenced by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife. We also try to educate our community so they understand and protect our native wildlife, and preserve their habitats.
More info via these links:
Wires Inner West branch https://www.wires.og.au/branch/sydney-inner-west covers approx. 100 Sydney suburbs including the CBD, Balmain peninsula, south to Tempe and West to Belfield. National phone number 1300 094 737
Sydney Wildlife rescue, Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife rescue Inc. - sydneywildlife.org.au
Photos and story
by
Julie Moffat, Wires Inner West volunteer