By Kath Gannaway
Dale May never leaves home without her spray can of brightly coloured fluoro paint.
You can see her handiwork all around the Upper Yarra. Not on fences or buildings, but on the bodies of dead wombats and kangaroos.
Along with other carers from the Upper Yarra Wildlife Rescue Network, it’s a busy time for Dale with the increasing carnage of wildife on Yarra Valley roads.
The pink love-heart marking a male wombat killed on Big Pats Road in East Warburton is all the more tragic because he is such a beautiful creature. There’s not a sign of mange, he’s got a shiny coat and he’s a good size.
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to presume that life was pretty good for him in Big Pats Creek.
Both Dale and her colleague Lesley Pinkerton believe speed, and a growing population of car drivers, are behind the increase in animals killed on local roads.
And there are particular roads that are truly deadly.
“Lusatia Park Road is 60 through the built-up area, but then it goes up to 80.
“We had two killed last week in the 60 kilometre zone, but just looking at the impact, the drivers must have been doing 90,” Lesley said.
Gembrook Launching Place Road is another hot spot and Lesley said from her own observations it’s not unusual to see bikes and cars doing well over the speed limit.
“The increase in trucks coming along that road, and the general increase in traffic … the roads, and the wildlife just can’t take the sort of traffic that we have coming up here now,” she said.
Dale agrees. With 13 years on wildlife rescue she says she has seen an improvement in awareness of wildlife on the roads, but too often it’s after the fact.
“We’ve been getting the message out there that if you hit something, please check the pouch for young.
“People used to say they just didn’t think to stop and check, but that is happening more now,” she said.
But as far as speed is concerned, she says she’s not seen any changes.
“Some people just don’t get it,” she said.
“It’s for everybody’s safety to go that little bit slower between dusk and dawn.
“It’s not that much to ask,” she says in a tone between frustration and resignation.
Keeping up with the demand for rescue and rehabilitation is an ongoing challenge for the UYWRN volunteers, and new members are needed and welcome.
There are lots of jobs that can be done in addition to road rescue, including transport and fundraising.
“There are certainly challenges, but there are also rewards,” she said.
One of the big challenges will be tackled with an art auction on Saturday, 4 August, at Yarra Valley ECOSS in Wesburn.
The event organised by UYWRN volunteers will feature art, music and wine, with all proceeds going towards the rescue and rehabilitation of local wildlife.
For more information on volunteering with the UYWRN, and the art auction, visit www.facebook.com/uywrn .
