Koala Rescue & Rehabilitation 24/7
A conversation with Jenny Bryant, Wildlife Carer. (Thanks to Sue Boggan).
Our concerns of the well being of our koala population on the Peninsula has led us to recognise and appreciate the generosity and caring of Jenny Bryant. Jenny is our local wildlife carer who runs and operates a wildlife hospital and shelter in Tyabb.
I met with Jenny to discover more about how she created this home for wounded and often abused wildlife.
The hospital evolved from small beginnings in Hastings, where she nursed and looked after abandoned kangaroo joeys whose mother’s were shot by hunters( 1980’s). Jenny at that time was planning to be a fashion designer and had been studying various art modalities to include photography, textiles and media studies.
Whist persisting, the increased need for rescuing wildlife took precedence. Jenny was receiving both Red and Grey kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos, echidnas, koalas, and many smaller creatures, lizards, and all various bird species. Road kill was even more predominant then as more wildlife abounded.
In 1999 a property was found in McKirdys Road Tyabb and hence the present animal shelter and hospital was established. Jennys’ late husband built the existing house that Jenny termed a ‘shift house.’ A locatable which they have since added to. With their own funds, together they built the extra buildings for the hospital. As word went out in the community, people donated bird aviaries and hutches, anything that would hold safely the many wild creatures needing care and a safe home.
Jenny shared her experiences of the situations she often found herself in when retrieving a wounded animal. The Hastings plant of Esso and BHP Billiton have often called Jenny in to retrieve a koala or possum that had found itself in the engine room. Often covered in oil! Birds that had flown in and were trapped.
Jenny sometimes has to travel vast distances, even to Gippsland, if no one else available. It is important to highlight that Jenny receives no financial support to cover her costs, not only running of the hospital but travelling costs for her vehicle and the many miles travelled. The animals need to be fed as well as housed in warm shelters.
Am pleased to note that the ‘Aldi store’ in Hastings donates all the leftover fruit and vegetables which is a life saver in keeping the wildlife fed. How does she then manage I asked? Her reply “You just do.”
Writing this article has further opened my eyes to the necessity and importance of the community supporting the hospital in some way. With the exception of Jenny and Brenda, a wildlife carer in Rye, there are few other’s known who care for our wildlife.
There has been discussion on establishing a wildlife hospital for the Peninsula but much research and commitment is needed to take this forward. I asked Jenny, what was the success rate of returning the healed back into the wild? She said about 50% are released. Those left behind remain at the centre in long term care.
At my visit, whilst winter, things were somewhat quiet for emergency rescue. Four koalas were in care and an unusual desert lizard that had been found by an interstate truck driver and was surviving in the warmth of a humidicrib. The bird aviaries are full with so many varieties including some exotic species not native to Australia. A wetland area is home for countless ducks of various hues. And chooks and bantams run freely everywhere. A place of safety and welcome, I appreciated Jenny’s time to share her story.