Once they’ve been lured and removed from their Thomas Trap (a self-closing soft trap), they’re placed in specially-designed shadecloth bags. They are well-ventilated and hang in a “baby-like” position that imitates the comfort of a pouch. This method combined with the diazepam administered by a Vet, creates a calm and smooth transport to the release site.
The James’ Home Services 24/7 Wildlife Rescue Vehicle has been fitted-out (with thanks to the Marlin Coast Men’s Shed) to structurally and safely hang 10 shadecloth bags from the roof. They’re then “bungeed” down to the plywood on the floor.
We only move a maximum of 10 wallabies per session as per our permit condition. However, we’ve found 8 wallabies seems to be the perfect amount each time.
Only in the next few weeks you might start to notice a decline in the wallaby population. The rate in which we move them mainly depends on the (1) weather and (2) vet availability. If you’re a vet and would like to be involved in the relocation, please let us know. We’d be very grateful for the extra help.
Every minor and major element of this relocation, has been selectively chosen for a reason. We are performing it as “best practise” as we can so we can not only successfully relocate these 400 wallabies but also document the success in order for this process to be replicated all over Australia.
