What you can do to Nurture and Care for Your Wildlife 

Here are three basic but excellent tips from specialist Wildlife Carers:

1/ Provide Water in Summer. 

Leave bowls of fresh, clean water out in shady locations. Shallow dishes are better for smaller animals. If you use a large container, make sure to provide a rock or stick so that small animals can climb out. Place the container in an area where animals are protected from predators when drinking e.g. near a shrub or bush and keep your pets away from this area so that animals can drink undisturbed.

2/ Use Correct Fruit-Tree Netting.  

“Wildlife Friendly” netting is more densely woven and has a smaller mesh size (less than 1cm square). White netting is more easily visible by animals at night.  For correct use of fruit-tree netting go to: https://greenharvest.com.au/DownLoads/WildlifeFriendlyNettingBrochure.pdf

Animals can become entangled in fruit and vegetable netting which can cause severe injuries to the animals.  This might lead to death due to blood loss, shock, strangulation or even dehydration.  Entangled animals are at risk of being attacked by domestic and other animals.

3/ Bird Safe-Proof Windows

• Birds can be stunned or even killed by mistakenly flying into a window pane thinking it was either open air, a way through or getting confused when escaping a predator.  Birds have also been known to “attack” their reflection thinking it was another bird.  They may also attach windscreen wipers and putty from door frames for nesting material.
• Cover the glass using a shade cloth or screen of some kind to remove the reflection from the glass.
• Install anti-glare/film, frosting, etching or decorative patterns, predator silhouettes on your glass.
• Park your car in a different spot or cover with a material sheet.
• Hang ornaments in the windows, half close blinds, draw curtains.  This will indicate that there is something more in the space and will deter them flying through.
• Remove accidental “food” sources.  Fish, rodents or bird feeders near the windows will attract the birds towards the windows.
• Use low lighting at night to direct light away from the window.
• Cover putty in window panes with masking tape until the putty has hardened and the bird will try another food source.

4/ Pool Safety

To prevent accidental drowning in ponds and pools, attach a scamper ramp or thick rope or towel securely outside the pool and put the other end in the water to help animals to climb out.

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