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‘I sort of fell apart’: black summer bushfires’ toll on the vets and carers helping Australian wildlife ‘I sort of fell apart’: black summer bushfires’ toll on the vets and carers helping Australian wildlife
(about 8 hours later)
They spent their lives and careers looking after animals and when the 2019-20 fires erupted they responded on the front lines. Veterinarians and carers recall those months – and the impact it has had sinceThey spent their lives and careers looking after animals and when the 2019-20 fires erupted they responded on the front lines. Veterinarians and carers recall those months – and the impact it has had since
The day before the fire front hit, the forest went deadly silent. Normally, says wildlife carer Susie Pulis, “if you are driving or walking in the bush it’s nothing but chitter chatter. There’s lots and lots of noise, all the different bird life and insects and everything buzzing around.” But this was different. “The birds had gone.” The day before the fire front hit, the forest fell deadly silent. Normally, says wildlife carer Susie Pulis, “if you are driving or walking in the bush it’s nothing but chitter chatter. There’s lots and lots of noise, all the different bird life and insects and everything buzzing around.” But this was different. “The birds had gone.”
Pulis and her son were scouting around for animals before the fires hit. “We could see the fire in the distance, we could see the flames. Pulis and her son were scouting for animals before the fires hit. “We could see the fire in the distance, we could see the flames.
“It was like an atomic bomb mushroom.”“It was like an atomic bomb mushroom.”
As with all the wildlife carers, she knew it was going to be catastrophic for the animals. She knew it was going to be catastrophic for the animals.
The fire at Bairnsdale, Victoria, was so intense and dynamic that it created its own weather patterns, forming thunderstorms kilometres ahead, lightning strikes that were igniting new fires. It would burn for nearly four months. The fire at Bairnsdale, Victoria, was so intense and dynamic that it created its own weather patterns, forming thunderstorms kilometres ahead, with lightning strikes that were igniting new fires. It would burn for nearly four months.
“The damage was horrific” Pulis says. “It was like walking on the moon. There was just not a blade of anything left, the trees were black matchsticks. The ground was really, really thick ash, it was so unstable. You just can’t fathom it really.” “The damage was horrific” Pulis says. “It was like walking on the moon. There was just not a blade of anything left, the trees were black matchsticks. The ground was really, really thick ash, it was so unstable. You just can’t fathom it.”
In December 2019 the sky went black in many parts of Australia. In the following weeks, unprecedented bushfires killed 33 people, destroyed thousands of homes, decimated about 3bn animals and 24m hectares of habitat. For those who devote their lives to caring for animals, these days will never been forgotten. In December 2019, in many parts of Australia, the sky turned black. In the following weeks, unprecedented bushfires killed 33 people, destroyed thousands of homes, killed about 3 billion animals and razed 24m hectares of wildlife habitat. For those who devote their lives to caring for animals, these days will never be forgotten.
In the days before help arrived, wildlife carer Sue Johns at Mallacoota had a lounge room full of burned koalas – “koalas everywhere”. “Whereas in my area there were basically no survivors,” says Pulis. “Things like the rednecked wallabies and Bennett’s wallaby were basically wiped out.” In the days before help arrived, wildlife carer Sue Johns at Mallacoota had a lounge room full of koalas burnt by the fires – “koalas everywhere”. But for Pulis there were few survivors. “Things like the rednecked wallaby and Bennett’s wallaby were basically wiped out.”
Dr Jade Hammer, a vet at the Main Street veterinary clinic at Bairnsdale, says the heat of the fire killed thousands of ground animals. But if the fires were low, koalas could go higher up a tree if the canopy was still intact; he treated many of these survivors for smoke inhalation. “The smoke was so thick that quite a lot of animals were coming in with respiratory distress.” Vets are not paid to treat wildlife. Dr Jade Hammer, a vet at the Main Street veterinary clinic at Bairnsdale, says the heat of the fire killed thousands of ground animals. If the fires were low, koalas could climb higher up a tree if the canopy was still intact; but Hammer treated many of these survivors for smoke inhalation. “The smoke was so thick that quite a lot of animals were coming in with respiratory distress.”
Hammer and his colleagues kept working even when they didn’t know if their own houses had survived. They worked long hours for months. “Particularly with cattle. They would appear OK initially but their hooves were burned. Later the hooves would fall off so they needed to be euthanised.” Vets are not paid to treat wildlife. But Hammer and his colleagues kept working, even when they didn’t know if their own houses had survived. They worked long hours for months looking after native and nonnative species, including cattle. “They would appear OK initially but their hooves were burnt. Later, the hooves would fall off so [the cattle] needed to be euthanised.”
The work of vets and wildlife carers did not end when the fire front passed; while many animals perished in the fires, many others survived with injuries and scarce food or habitat for at least a while. The work of vets and wildlife carers did not end when the fire front passed; many animals perished in the fires, but many others survived with injuries and faced food and water shortages and loss of habitat, at least for a while.
Marcie Lash, a vet nurse who was deployed to the fires by Vets Beyond Borders to Cooma, NSW, says: “A lot of animals survive for weeks and weeks with very little.” They lost their habitat, their food sources, and often water. “They are not doing very well by the time you find them.” Marcie Lash, a vet nurse who was deployed to the fires near Cooma in NSW by Vets Beyond Borders, says: “A lot of animals survive for weeks and weeks with very little.” They are not doing very well by the time you find them.”
During search and rescue efforts, she says, the level of fear among the animals made things “very difficult”. During search and rescue efforts, the level of fear among the animals made things “very difficult”, she says.
“You have to remember we’re dealing with wild animals,” Lash says. “The search and rescue I was involved in were using a sedation method. The people, at least, knew what was coming and that was terrifying. The animals didn’t know what was coming and maybe that was more terrifying.” “You have to remember, we’re dealing with wild animals,” Lash says. “The search and rescue [team] I was involved in was using a sedation method. The people, at least, knew what was coming and that was terrifying. The animals didn’t know what was coming and maybe that was more terrifying.”
Mostly they were dealing with koalas, kangaroos and echidnas. Nobody really knows how the slow-moving echidnas survived, Lash says, “burrowing is the main thought process – sharing burrows”. Mostly, they were dealing with koalas, kangaroos and echidnas. Nobody really knows how the slow-moving echidnas survived, Lash says, but perhaps by sharing burrows.
Wildlife carer Joanne Rossi says that kangaroos and animals that managed to outrun the fires would return to their habitat while the ground was still too hot. “There were quite a lot of eastern greys that had burns on their legs and tails.” Wildlife carer Joanne Rossi says kangaroos and animals that managed to outrun the fires would return to their habitat while the ground was still too hot. “There were quite a lot of eastern greys that had burns on their legs and tails.”
The kangaroos she had rescued, rehabilitated and released over the years would come back to show her their joeys. They were her babies. Some of them never came back after the fires. The kangaroos she had rescued, rehabilitated and released over the years often came back to show her their joeys. But after the fires, some of them never came back.
Kimberly Vinette Herrin, a veterinarian officer at Taronga Zoo, arrived in Bairnsdale 10 days after the first fires, deployed to work there by the RSPCA. “We saw hundreds and hundreds of koalas and some reptiles. The koalas mostly had burns on their paws or their nose areas that would have been exposed. Or if they came down to the ground, they would have burned their paws. Some had pretty bad burns, deep third-degree burns. Ten to 13 koalas would be coming in every day. The army would bring them in trucks and drop them off.” Kimberly Vinette Herrin, a veterinarian officer at Taronga Zoo, arrived in Bairnsdale 10 days after the first fires, deployed to work there by the RSPCA. “We saw hundreds and hundreds of koalas and some reptiles. The koalas mostly had burns on their paws or their nose areas. Some had pretty bad burns, deep third-degree burns. Ten to 13 koalas would be coming in every day. The army would bring them in trucks and drop them off.”
Vinette Herrin is used to dealing with sick animals, emergency situations and triage. “It was let’s get on with it and see what we can do to save these animals.” But “what was really confronting was seeing the landscape, just seeing that there were tops of trees and nothing on the ground, it was all just burnt, black and ashen. And then to get the animals and just imagining how they had been up in a tree seeking a haven.” Vinette Herrin is used to dealing with sick animals, emergency situations and triage. “It was ‘Let’s get on with it and see what we can do to save these animals’.”
The koalas, she says, were good patients. They would be put on pain relief, and adapted well. “Give them a bunch of eucalyptus leaves and they were like, ‘This is good, I’ve got something fresh to eat. It’s better than it was.’” “What was really confronting was seeing the landscape, just seeing that there were tops of trees and nothing on the ground, it was all just burnt, black and ashen. And then to get the animals and just imagining how they had been up in a tree seeking a haven.”
People who had lost their homes would come and visit the koalas, Vinette Herrin remembers. “They would say, ‘Hey we’re in the same boat. Your homes have been destroyed too.’ They had shared their homes with the wildlife.” The koalas, she says, were good patients. They would be given pain relief, and adapted well. “Give them a bunch of eucalyptus leaves and they were like, ‘This is good, I’ve got something fresh to eat. It’s better than it was.’”
People who had lost their homes would visit the koalas, Vinette Herrin remembers. “They would say, ‘Hey we’re in the same boat. Your homes have been destroyed too.’ They had shared their homes with the wildlife.”
No one who was there, treating injured and dying animals, walked away without being deeply affected. Vinette Herrin found it exhausting and emotional. “You don’t realise how much it is taking out of you.”No one who was there, treating injured and dying animals, walked away without being deeply affected. Vinette Herrin found it exhausting and emotional. “You don’t realise how much it is taking out of you.”
It wasn’t until a nurse from Taronga zoo came to replace her “that I sort of fell apart. I had a full-on cry. The impact hit me. Even the fact that this smoke was circumventing the globe, it was just unbelievable. It was a bit of a shot that was heard around the world. It is still hard to fathom, to be honest. I don’t think I have actually dealt with the impact.”It wasn’t until a nurse from Taronga zoo came to replace her “that I sort of fell apart. I had a full-on cry. The impact hit me. Even the fact that this smoke was circumventing the globe, it was just unbelievable. It was a bit of a shot that was heard around the world. It is still hard to fathom, to be honest. I don’t think I have actually dealt with the impact.”
Initially, Marcie Lash was propelled by a feeling that at least she was doing something. “I’m helping,” she says. “But afterwards the things you see when you are out there and the amount of damage that occurred, you need to be able to switch off to be able to continue your work. It definitely sits with you for quite some time.Initially, Marcie Lash was propelled by a feeling that at least she was doing something. “I’m helping,” she says. “But afterwards the things you see when you are out there and the amount of damage that occurred, you need to be able to switch off to be able to continue your work. It definitely sits with you for quite some time.
“Even today it is something that I think unless you’re there on the ground, it is really hard to imagine the amount of destruction that occurred. And when you get to an area that typically would have birds singing and animals … around, even invertebrates like ants, to see an area that has none of that makes you feel very small.” “Even today it is something that I think, unless you’re there on the ground, it is really hard to imagine the amount of destruction that occurred. And when you get to an area that typically would have birds singing and animals … even invertebrates like ants, to see an area that has none of that makes you feel very small.”
“There are definitely reminders all the time,” says Hammer.“There are definitely reminders all the time,” says Hammer.
Just before Christmas a bonfire got out of control in his area. “It reminds the community of the danger that we are constantly in, particularly on 40-degree days like we had before Christmas. We haven’t had heat like that since the period of the bushfires.”Just before Christmas a bonfire got out of control in his area. “It reminds the community of the danger that we are constantly in, particularly on 40-degree days like we had before Christmas. We haven’t had heat like that since the period of the bushfires.”
The trauma doesn’t go away, he says. “For a lot of people definitely.” For most people, the trauma doesn’t go away, he says.
The animals that they try to look after and protect, “you have to remember that the suffering that happens”. “There are certainly a lot of things that trigger those memories, whether it is heatwaves or the smell of smoke – all sorts of things.”
Hammer says you can never forget something like those fires. “There are certainly a lot of things that trigger those memories, whether it is heatwaves or the smell of smoke – all sorts of things.” Those who were there – wrapping burnt feet, treating creatures with mouths blackened by smoke, euthanising endangered animals – learned something they cannot forget: the animals are just so vulnerable.
Those who were there – wrapping burned feet, treating creatures with mouths blackened by smoke, euthanising endangered animals – learned something they cannot forget: the animals are just so vulnerable.
“I never want to go through that again,” says Rossi. “It was a lot of trauma. It was pretty traumatic to see all those animals suffer and think of what we could have done or would have done differently if we had our time again.”“I never want to go through that again,” says Rossi. “It was a lot of trauma. It was pretty traumatic to see all those animals suffer and think of what we could have done or would have done differently if we had our time again.”
“You can’t let it drag you down”, she says, but: “It did affect us a lot because we couldn’t do anything. “You can’t let it drag you down,” she says.
“That was the main issue – we felt helpless. We have all these people with knowledge, carers and vets and things like that, we’ve got all that knowledge and we couldn’t help. So, yeah, that’s a hard part.”“That was the main issue – we felt helpless. We have all these people with knowledge, carers and vets and things like that, we’ve got all that knowledge and we couldn’t help. So, yeah, that’s a hard part.”