Published: 28 March 2025

After the bushfires, many who were doing it tough or lost their homes were also worrying about the wildlife.

Arriving at blackened properties, Shelley Clarke was touched by the community’s care for native wildlife and efforts to call WIRES for help. “Even in their darkest moments, people were so concerned about the animals,” Shelley said.

Five years on, this form of altruism has led to some great initiatives. Every Council truck now has a pouch to keep joeys safe until they can be passed onto a WIRES carer.

We're lucky to have Shelley as Council's fire mitigation officer, and just as lucky to work with her as a WIRES volunteer and chair of the WIRES Mid South Coast branch. Collaboration between WIRES and Council has seen a reduction in wildlife road trauma thanks to our virtual fence program. Plus, there's a new animal rehabilitation facility at the botanic garden, and more people feeling inspired to help animals in our community.

Shelley’s story as a WIRES volunteer highlights a productive collaboration between Council and the community. Virtual fences are saving animal's lives and motorists’ insurance claims, with more of these tech marvels lining shire roads soon. We’re weeding on Snapper Island to protect little penguins, and a nest box made by Moruya High students recently helped save two baby kookaburras.

Shelley's career spans time as an ambulance driver, an administration officer with local police and, now, as fire mitigation officer with Council. Her partner was a firefighter. Fair to say, they have seen a lot.

Together, they share a passion for animals and in 2019, just before the bushfires, both enrolled in a WIRES animal rescue course.

“I started seeing the impact of the fires on wildlife in the Shoalhaven before it hit us down here. We were getting called out to injured animals at Bawley Point – one was a greater glider and I didn’t even know what that was at the time,” says Shelley.

The pair were run off their feet. During rescues, Shelley said a big part of the work was supporting residents who cared so much for their local wildlife.

“The work we were called to do required a certain level of physical fitness and mental resilience. We became our own emergency response team.

“Even though it can be confronting, there’s nice things like rescuing orphaned babies and seeing carers feed them. The beauty outweighs the negative.”

During Covid Shelley noticed more people moving to the area and wanting to help after watching the bushfires on the news.

“Volunteer numbers have steadily grown, and we received a lot of donations from the people we helped.

“Our team of volunteers is incredibly diverse, with experience ranging from war zones to emergency services and executive roles. There are also impressive mums who, after raising kids, now dedicate their time to rescuing and caring for wildlife.

“Our WIRES community is like family - we’ve been through some confronting and beautiful stuff together, there are such highs and lows.”

Over the years, Shelley has responded to injured animals along the highway or tangled in fences. She has rescued a brushtail possum from someone’s kitchen exhaust fan, a little bat trapped in a shower screen, and even a goanna stuck down a toilet.

“We love sharing knowledge on how to handle a situation until we can get there. It’s amazing how many people still think they should call the police for injured kangaroos – call WIRES, we’re the ones with the expertise.”

• For injured wildlife, phone WIRES: 1300 094 737
• Visit www.wires.org.au if you want to get involved.
• This story was first published in Council’s quarterly newsletter for residents, Living in Eurobodalla. A printed edition is delivered to Eurobodalla's 26,000 households.

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