We Had a Kangaroo Jump in Our Boat: Wildlife Rescuers Save Animals By Boat During South Australia Floods

Numerous wildlife rescue volunteers are heading out to save animals by boat who are stranded in rising South Australian floodwaters.

Source: ABC News (Australia)/YouTube

Wild animals are at risk of drowning in South Australian flood waters, and brave rescuers are saving them and moving them to higher ground.

ABC Net reported that Kerry Machado, an emergency and critical care vet nurse at the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) Adelaide, has been traveling to take on rescues.

“It’s very sad out there,” she said.

“I have driven [in a boat] past a mob of kangaroos in waist-deep water.”

“We actually had a kangaroo jump in our boat in a frantic attempt to get to drier land.”

Machado works with Wildlife Nurse SA, and the team drives around in a small boat rescuing animals.

“So we’re going by boat to particular areas where animals are being located and they’ve been stranded,” she said.

“We have a trained rescue team that has been involved in this operation, going out and picking up animals out of the water or hanging on to logs that are floating in the water.”

“We’re finding them everywhere really.”

The team has already saved dozens of animals, including kangaroos, wombats, lizards, and echidnas.

“At the moment, we have probably had four that needed veterinary care,” she said.

“We’ve been very lucky, we’ve caught them in time and we’ve been able to release them.”

If the animals are rescued and deemed healthy after an evaluation, they are released on higher ground. If the animal is not well and needs more care, they move to a licensed wildlife caregiver.

Many people in Australia have been forced out of their homes because of the massive flooding, and they’re fighting to save their animals too. Some have been forced to give up their pets as they have no place to live or no means to Support them. Check out How to Help Animals Affected by the Massive Flooding in New South Wales!

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