Appeal for drivers to be koala conscious

By Sarah Schwager
LOCAL animal rescue services are warning residents to be wary of native animals on the roads after a koala was hit by a car in Cranbourne South on the weekend.
Nigel Williamson from Nigel’s Animal Rescue in Devon Meadows was called out to rescue the koala after it was hit on Dandenong-Hastings Road near Browns Road at about 11.30pm on Saturday.
Two cars stopped to help the injured animal and the passengers used a blanket to keep it warm.
The four-year-old koala had blood coming out of its nose and a head injury when it was found but thanks to the people who stopped and a local animal shelter, he was released back into the wild yesterday (Wednesday).
Mr Williamson said it was rare for an animal to be saved after being hit by a car.
“He’s one of the very lucky ones. Often they have a lot more horrific injuries,” he said.
“A lot of people don’t care and they don’t stop. If those people hadn’t stopped, another car could have come along and hit it again.”
Mr Williamson said there were no koala signs in the area warning people that they were around.
“That area (around Cranbourne South) has become more and more populated,” he said.
“There is a fauna and flora reserve down there that is full of koalas that tend to wander around and onto the roads. But people still come screaming down those dirt roads.”
Nigel’s Animal Rescue is on call 24 hours a day and deals with all rescues of both wild and domestic animals.
Mr Williamson said he had carried out 28,000 rescues in Melbourne in his 20 years in the business.
The rescues also include snakes in summer, magpies in spring, possum removal, rat baiting, and finding homes for unwanted kittens.
Mr Williamson said rescuing injured koalas was a voluntary part of his job.
“The koala is not going to pay us.”
The koala had been housed at the Sleep Hollow Wildlife Shelter in Tooradin and was released into a nearby flora and fauna reserve.
Mr Williamson urged people driving in the area to always keep a blanket and the number of a rescue service on hand.
If anyone sees an injured animal, contact Nigel’s Animal Rescue at any time on 0427 533 083.