FURRY FRIEND: Jenna Harris is a member of WIRES and her current volunteering role means she’s got to look after six-month-old joey Sunny. 1031sgwires2
MOST people bring a lunch box to work but for new WIRES volunteer Jenna Harris her work companion is a six-month-old joey.
Miss Harris began volunteering for WIRES earlier this year and can already count many birds and sugar gliders among her closest companions.
She is one of 12 volunteers in Orange who completed training this year to help injured or abandoned native wildlife.
“I’ve always been interested in wildlife and wanted to help out with volunteering,” she said.
“This joey’s only about 200 days [six months] old and it’s still in the pouch.
“At the moment I’m feeding her four times a day, even when they’re out of the pouch you’re still feeding them two times a day.”
Her volunteering role has also come in handy in her work as a vet nurse at an Orange surgery where community members sometimes bring in injured native animals.
WIRES central west vice chair Nicole Wiggins said they are always looking for new volunteers, however stressed the role was not for everyone
“It’s very emotional when they [the animals] do come to us, they’re already sick and injured,” she said.
“It’s very hard sometimes, it’s not always the soft and cuddly animals.
“You become quite attached and there is a lot of support out there. We also get the wonderful stories.”
Mrs Wiggins said if you do stop for a kangaroo or possum on the road it is a good idea to check its pouch for babies.
“If it’s fine weather a baby can survive for up to a couple of days,” she said.
Each year WIRES volunteers across the central west receive around 3000 call outs to injured or abandoned native animals with the majority being for injured birds.