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A Harcourts Foundation grant will provide essential support to a South Australian koala rehabilitation centre.
The Southern Koala and Echidna Rescue (SKER) has received a grant from the Harcourts Foundation to continue its vital work in rehabilitating sick, injured, and orphaned koalas and echidnas.
The organisation, which is based in Onkaparinga, travels to seven council areas across Adelaide to provide rescue services for injured wildlife.
“We’ve all felt that awful pang when we see an injured animal, and I’m so pleased that this Harcourts Foundation grant has helped to alleviate some of that pain – for our local people, but more importantly, for our furry friends,” said Rachel Eckey, CEO of Harcourts South Australia.
Last financial year, SKER provided help to 940 community members on its rescue hotline. Now, with funds donated by the Harcourts Foundation, the organisation plans to upskill its staff and provide essential equipment for native wildlife rescues.
Mish Simpson, operations manager at SKER, explained: “Having more advanced equipment distributed among the team means we can get to the rescues quicker and relieve the community member who has been waiting for help to arrive.”
New equipment purchased recently included 6-metre rescue poles and rescue hoops for reaching koalas located high up in trees, along with thermal monocular night vision devices that will allow rescue teams to see in the dark.
With more rescuers than ever on the team, the additional equipment will be essential to allow the newcomers to be fully operational.
“SKER has been operating for five years and has collected data on rescue cases during this time. A significant concern is the high number of vehicle strike cases that go unreported. To address this, SKER has increased community education efforts, resulting in a continued increase in the demand for our rescue and veterinary services,” said Simpson.
“To meet this increasing demand, we’ve upskilled more of our internal volunteers into our rescue team which meant we required additional equipment to allow them to be fully operational.”
Over the weeks to come, SKER aims to raise $90,000 before 1 September 2024 so that the organisation can continue to provide quality veterinary care to rescued animals.
“We are immensely grateful for the generous support provided by the Harcourts Foundation. Your contribution will significantly enhance the capabilities of our dedicated volunteer rescue team,” said Simpson.
“With these new resources, we will be better equipped to respond to wildlife emergencies, providing vital care and protection to our native animals in need. Your support empowers us to make a tangible difference in the lives of countless creatures.”
