By Oliver Winn
A small wildlife shelter operator had her dreams realised as she moved into a new, purpose built property that will house more wildlife and give top quality care.
Waratah Wildlife Shelter founder Raewyn Jeganathan said she’d been looking for a suitable property for 10 years, and after facing financial constraints, she finally had the opportunity to build a wildlife shelter designed specifically for the care of animals in mind.
“I’m most excited about being able to have purpose-built and purposely designed facilities so that I can accommodate more animals, be able to attend to them more efficiently, and be able to provide a more interesting environment for them to be in while they are in care.”
The Big Pats Creek property would be able to provide care for larger animals, which would help combat the shortage of large animal accommodating shelters in the area.
Ms Jeganathan’s vision for the property was to create enclosures that have the ability to house multiple different types of species.
She said this would enable her shelter to house more wildlife in need of care, and avoid having to euthanise animals because there’s not enough space in the shelter.
Initially, Ms Jeganathan operated her shelter out of her parents’ property – but her new shelter meant it could be designed with efficiency in mind, allowing for a greater number of animals to be cared for and also ensuring a greater quality of care.
But, she said as she expands her shelter, she requires the help of others to run it properly.
“There are only so many animals I can care for on my own and do a good job of it,” she said.
“For too long wildlife care has been left to a few individuals, but in reality as a community, we’re all responsible for the welfare of animals.”
“I hope to get together a good team of reliable regular volunteers who can help with the day to day management and husbandry at the property.”
For the time being, Ms Jeganathan said she’d focus on getting things set up at her property before she’d begin housing more wildlife.
“I suppose in the near future I’m just really excited to be able to start contributing more again and taking in more animals,” she said.
