Australia has been experiencing increasingly extreme weather conditions and record-breaking temperatures as a result of climate change. 

These soaring temperatures have created a perfect breeding ground for devastating bushfires that threaten our communities, wildlife, and natural habitats. This year, we’ve already seen early bushfires rage across parts of the continent, claiming lives, destroying homes and habitats, and impacting vulnerable wildlife. 

These fires are also fueled by the hot and dry weather associated with El Niño—a weather pattern that is now underway, bringing with it the threat of severe droughts and disastrous bushfires. This comes off the back of three years of La Niña—a weather pattern that brought heavy rain and devastating floods. 

This means there is a lot of vegetation growth on the ground. As it dries out and temperatures begin to rise again, it becomes the perfect fuel load for bushfires. 

We know all too well the impacts of these fires—for many, the scars of the Black Summer bushfires are still raw. For our wildlife, there has barely been any time to recover. 

Preparing for the next disaster 

Wildlife carers are some of the most selfless people in the world, often putting an animal’s life before their own. After the 2019-20 fires, we learned that many wildlife carers and rescue groups feared having to evacuate because they didn’t have a plan for the animals in their care. 

We realised how vital and potentially lifesaving it would be to create resources and conduct training sessions for wildlife carers to prepare for disasters. We created a disaster toolkit, which includes an emergency evacuation workshop in which we guide and equip wildlife groups and carers in creating their own evacuation plans. 

We’ve been busy working with rescue centres and carers across the country, facilitating these free workshops and spreading the word about our disaster toolkit. 

Through this work, we hope to equip the wildlife sector with the resources and skills to safely look after their own lives as well as the lives of the animals in their care during emergencies.