Lindy Butcher and Corin Pennock ‘ACT Wildlife and its wombat programs’

Lindy and Corin, of ACT Wildlife, will share some of the journeys in the care of, and the mange program to treat, the most endearing our wildlife.

Abstract

ACT Wildlife is the ACT’s only wildlife rescue and rehabilitation group. We are a registered charity “staffed” almost exclusively by volunteers. The group has a 24/7 hotline for reporting injured or orphaned wildlife, and we care for thousands of animals each year, including marsupials, bats, reptiles and birds.

But the most endearing of our wildlife (and we’re not biased) is the wombat. We have about 18 in care at any time for up to 18 months each until they are released. We also have a mange treatment program, which aims to both alleviate the misery caused by the mange mite in individual animals, and to treat populations where they live.

Biographies

Lindy Butcher, is ACT Wildlife Wombat coordinator and the ACT Wildlife Vice President.

She began raising orphaned wildlife as a child growing up in a remote Arnhem Land indigenous community where her parents worked. The local men would hunt wallabies for food and we would raise any joeys that were orphaned as a result. I have been a volunteer with ACT Wildlife since moving to Canberra from the Northern Territory more than 20 years ago.

After rehabilitating and raising hundreds of birds and possums she raised her first wombat joey ten years ago and have been in love with them as a species and as individuals since then. With Corin, she became involved in the trial to test the effectiveness of Cydectin in treating the parasitic infestation Mange that kills so many wombats in the wild. ACT Wildlife has seen more than 60 wombats come into care in the last 5 years, and she took on the new role of Wombat Coordinator to recruit and train carers who could take on the specialised care for up to 18 months for each animal. Orphaned wombats arrive at as little as 110 gm and stay till about 18 kg.

Corin Pennock is ACT Wildlife Mange Treatment Program Coordinator. Corin has been with ACT wildlife for five years. During that time, she has held the roles of Wombat Mange Coordinator and is a member of the committee.

As the Wombat mange coordinator Corin has led the work on treating wombats for mange in Tharwa and Lanyon homestead. This is a program that has treated more than 300 Wombat burrows.

Additionally, Corin has been a care giver for several wombats and possums that have successfully been released back into the wild.

Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November in the Gardens’ Theatrette. Talks last for 1 hour. Admission is by gold coins donation. The Friends use the ‘gold’ coins donations received at each activity to support Gardens’ programs and development and thank all those who have donated. Please note: unless otherwise indicated, talks are in the ANBG Theatrette.

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