Aussie Wildlife Recovery & Emergency Preparedness

An alarming outbreak of Lorikeet Paralysis Syndrome has been escalating in northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland, and thousands of native birds have needed our urgent assistance.  

Our wildlife volunteers have been working round the clock to provide immediate treatment and care, and we quickly dispatched our Emergency Responders with Wildlife Ambulances to assist with rescues and transportation.   

We also dispatched our wildlife veterinarian Dr Tania Biship, who has been assisting local vets with treatment advice, and providing immediate triage and treatment for affected native birds.  

In Grafton, northern NSW, an area particularly affected, we've established a community drop off point to help alleviate the pressure on local vets and carers and to provide a centralized hub for distressed birds to receive immediate expert care. 

The community drop off point received hundreds of affected birds in its first few days of operation and is continuing to treat scores of very sick birds per day. We're also distributing vital aid and supplies for carers needing extra support across the region. 

This debilitating syndrome affects a lorikeet's ability to fly and swallow - leading to death if not treated swiftly. Rehabilitation is possible, but can take eight weeks of dedicated care. We've funded a research study by the University of Sydney to determine the cause, and are contributing to ongoing research as the situation progresses. As this point it is believed to be a toxicity in their food source, potentially brought on after heavy rains.

We are also seeing rises in Flying Foxes being affected by Flying Fox Paralysis Syndrome in similar areas. This is extremely worrying given Flying Foxes are important pollinators, and many populations on the east coast of Australia have recently suffered mass deaths through both heat stress and a starvation event (again likely the result of heavy rains). In response, WIRES have provided food aid, medical supplies and formula for hundreds of carers in affected areas, and are funding the regeneration of Flying Fox roosting habitat.