Key Points
- More than 76,000 hectares, roughly the size of Singapore, have been burned in the fires around the Grampians.
- Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says the damage assessment is ongoing.
- The national park is home to hundreds of species.
As massive bushfires raged , a group of nervous kangaroos found an unlikely sanctuary inside the home of an animal shelter operator.
The Grampians National Park, Victoria’s fourth largest national park, is home to 230 bird species, 40 mammal species, 30 reptile species, 11 amphibian species, and six fish species. It is also home to the Eastern Grey Kangaroo.
Three residential homes and nearly a dozen outbuildings have been lost in fires around the national park and Macedon Range that’s so far scorched more than 76,000 hectares — around the size of Singapore.
Kangaroos in the lounge room
Louise Bonomi, a volunteer at Wildwood Wildlife Shelter in Victoria Valley, described how the kangaroos appeared “nervous” when the bushfires intensified in the Grampians on Boxing Day, and the roof sprinkles at the home of the shelter operator, Pam Turner, were turned on.
An animal shelter in Victoria Valley became a sanctuary for the group of “nervous” kangaroos. Source: Supplied
Bonomi said the kangaroos became “stressed”.
“They don’t like coming and going. They don’t like the noise of pumps,” she told SBS News.
“I think wildlife can tell when there’s a fire in their region, their habitat.”
That is when Turner decided to bring 20 of the joeys to her lounge room.
“[She] brought whoever she could inside where they could seek shelter in the house, and they all managed really well,” Bonomi explained.
“They’re safe. Thank goodness it was a real relief to get through Boxing Day.”
Extent of wildlife losses unknown
The full damage of the bushfire to the Grampians National Park wildlife is unclear as yet.
Bonomi said there is great concern for their welfare.
An out-of-control bushfire in Victoria’s Grampians National Park in December. Source: AAP / State Control Centre / Pr Image
“Given the scale and the intensity of those fires, I think everybody’s assuming the worst,” Bonomi said.
“But of course, we just need to wait and see if there have been survivors.
“We really hope to see the state government deploy their wildlife welfare assessment teams as an urgent priority into the fire grounds in case of survivors.”
In the meantime, the Victorian Kangaroo Alliance has called to stop the state’s Kangaroo Harvesting Program.
On Sunday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the damage assessment was ongoing.
The full impact of the blaze also remains unclear, but there are reports of a significant loss of livestock.
Cooler weather has eased conditions for firefighters battling the blaze in Victoria, but Bonomi called for public help to assist wildlife in the region.
“Even when the fires are finally extinguished, there will be larger numbers than normal of wildlife who could be displaced, who could be on the road,” she said.
“So please, if you are travelling around the fire zone, slow down. Take care and do call the local shelters for help if you come across animals in need.”
– With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press
