Adelaide Hills fires: Thousands of animals feared dead as huge wildlife rescue effort begins

Thousands of animals are believed to have died in the Adelaide Hills, as volunteers begin moving in on the fireground to help wildlife injured in the blaze.

Peter Hutchison, Kathy Burbidge and Claire Moore from SAVEM checking for wildlife after the Cherry Gardens fire. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Thousands of animals are feared to have perished in the Adelaide Hills bushfires, as volunteers hit the ground to start a mammoth rescue effort.

South Australian Veterinary Emergency Management (SAVEM) has today travelled to Scott Creek Conservation Park, ravaged in the fire, to assess the area including how many animals need treatment.

Meantime, the Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Hospital is expecting to soon be flooded with extra patients.

SAVEM SA co-ordinator Rachel Westcott said volunteers conducted a reconnaissance mission on Tuesday and two more teams would be sent to the fireground tomorrow.

“It might take some time for animals to come out if they’ve gone to ground, which they often do if they’re injured,” she said.

Adelaide Koala & Wildlife Hospital manager Joanne Sloan with a koala affected by the Adelaide Hills bushfires. Picture: Supplied

It’s hoped that a lot of kangaroos escaped the fire, but the koala population is likely to have suffered serious casualties.

SAVEM will also focus on the endangered southern brown bandicoots and chestnut-rumped heathwrens that live in the area.

Dr Westcott said vets would treat some animals themselves, link up others with wildlife carers and arrange for others to be relocated.

She expected hundreds of marsupials were killed or injured in the fires – and thousands of animals including echidnas, birds, reptiles and invertebrates.

Adelaide Koala & Wildlife Hospital has taken in 25 animals since Monday.

Manager Joanne Sloan said smoke inhalation was a major problem, and expected the Plympton centre to be “inundated” over coming days as access to the fire scar area is expanded.

“Unfortunately a lot don’t make it out or die in those couple of days (after a fire) so it’s hard to know what’s going to make it out by the time we’re able to access the area and what condition they’ll be in,” she said.

Kangaroos at Scott Creek Conservation Park after the Cherry Gardens fire. Picture: Kelly Barnes

The hospital has received $20,000 in donations to help bushfire-affected animals, along with countless offers of eucalyptus leaves, other food and volunteer support.

Friends of Scott Creek vice president Peter Watton expected the wildlife toll would be huge but hoped deep valleys in the area provided refuge for some animals.

“Certainly there would have been thousands upon thousands of animals that would have perished in the fire,” he said.

“Where it first started, you don’t know if it would have burned evenly or if there would have been some bits that were missed and would have become refuges for animals.

“Of course, a lot of wildlife can move fairly quickly – like your kangaroos and birds – but a lot of others, like your koalas and reptiles and insects, that’s where the huge numbers are and many of those will be lost.”

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