Sad theory after 'confronting' discovery on side of Aussie road
The small decision could have a large impact on our native animals.
WARNING — DISTURBING CONTENT: A wildlife rescuer has stressed how easy it could be to minimise the impact of devastating roadside incidents if drivers made one simple decision.
On Sunday, Krysti Severi had a horror day on the job responding to a "confronting" rescue in Mernda, located northeast of Melbourne, which ended in two fatalities.
A "fence hanger" — a kangaroo incapacitated by a metal fence — was found with its leg snapped in half with its joey dead by its side.
"Her pouch was like an oven from being in the direct sun for what I would say, hours and hours and hours. I think she was in that fence for well over 24 hours," Krysti said.
"If seen earlier, her and her little boy could have been saved… [It's] always a possibility but sadly, we will never know."
Krysti praised the driver who notified her of the kangaroos in distress but criticised the many who passed without helping.
Stop and check injured animals
Barbed wire fences are known as "silent killers" of kangaroos as the animals often get tangled up while trying to jump over them. By simply stopping and checking on a roo caught up in one, drivers can significantly increase the likelihood of the kangaroo's survival.
"They get constriction where the wires are tight around their feet or toes and that starts to shut off blood supply, and compress on all their nerves," she told Yahoo News Australia previously. "It turns necrotic."
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Over 10 million animals are hit on Australian roads every year and the message of "stop and check" is echoed by rescuers across the country, with the idea that the sooner those in the know can offer care, the better chance of a positive outcome.
The International Fund Animal Welfare (IFAW) app can be used by motorists to pinpoint which wildlife groups operate in the area where distressed animals are sighted, or Wildlife Rescue Australia can be called from anywhere in the country on 1300 596 457.
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