Five Freedoms Animal Rescue in Woodend, Victoria | Local business

Five Freedoms Animal Rescue

Locality: Woodend, Victoria

Phone: +61 438 681 501

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25.01.2022 Our Brad Pit made it onto The Dodo https://www.instagram.com/p/CC9z53CpLsX/

25.01.2022 Q. What’s worse than finding a deadly eastern brown snake in your compost bin? Daryl from Sunbury called because he was worried that he might have a snake in his compost bin. He saw a tail disappear under the bin on the previous day. I explained that the snake may have moved off by now and there was a high probability that the snake would not be found, and that he may be wasting his money. Daryl bravely lifted the lid to see if a snake was visible inside the bin, but the bin ...was full, and he chose not to delve further. He mentioned that he used the bin to store netting and I was worried that the snake was likely to be caught in the netting and would be suffering. So, I quickly attended, just in case. As I extracted the netting from the bin, I sighted the body of a large eastern brown snake, the second most venomous species of snake in the world. It was badly entwined in the netting material. But there was a lot of snake. And then I noticed two separate tails, and I realised that I was faced with more than one snake. It appeared that the two snakes may well have been engaged in a romantic endeavour, oblivious to the dangers of their unfortunate bedding. Both snakes were well and truly entangled in the netting and were at risk of self-strangulation. I tried to cut the snakes free but found the task to be quite involved, and dangerous. I took the tangled mess home to complete the task. I felt like I was working on a Medusa as the two snake heads swayed back and forth as I hacked through the netting with my small pair of nurses scissors, working my way closer and closer to their heads. I had to be extremely careful and watch both heads constantly to ensure that I kept my fingers from striking distance. Once freed, each snake became highly reactive and mobile. Hopefully, this was an indication that the snakes weren’t badly hurt and would need only a short term in care and be subject to a successful release, which would be just as well as I have now run out of snake enclosures in the house. This is another reminder about how dangerous fruit tree netting is to our wildlife. Netting results in many entanglements and consequent suffering and cruelty. The sale of this type of netting is now being banned but much material already exists and is used and stored at properties and are death traps. Please dispose of your netting and make sure that it is well contained.

25.01.2022 Always a pleasure to help Pam and her wonderful team.

25.01.2022 I recently posted my interview with Peter Hylands regarding the plight of Victoria’s kangaroos. As I mentioned then, Peter and his wife Andrea are godsends for our wildlife, and they are dedicating their efforts to the future of Australia’s native animals. It is very worth checking out their ‘Creative Cowboy’ website https://www.creativecowboyfilms.com/ In their visit to our shelter, they also spoke with Helen for her insight into the facts, her concerns, and her description of living with and loving kangaroos. She is much nicer to watch than me but, be warned, some of it is tough viewing with disturbing images (not Helen). https://www.creativecowboyfilms.com/blog/the-constant-carer

23.01.2022 15 kangaroos in the lounge room, and there goes another TV. That’s TV number 4. We really need to finish our new enclosures!!!!!

23.01.2022 Two years ago today, we had an amazing experience that involved the discovery and rescue of 4 pigs, and working with the fantastic Pam Ahern and her team from Edgar's Mission. For those that didn't see our post back then, here is our original story, and please cheer yourself up watch the video from Edgar's Mission. It was a typical Sunday morning as I receive a call to check on a kangaroo joey that had been seen on its own for a few days. I decided to take a short cut throug...Continue reading

22.01.2022 Yesterday, the dream of our hospital wing came a step closer with the installation of a split system heating and cooling unit. Finding a tradie in these days of plague and pestilence is damn near impossible but thanks to the power of social media and the call out to Five Freedoms’ followers, Jay from Electric Deluxe came to our rescue. Although our treatment and triage room has a long way to go, thanks to Jay and FF supporters, our roos in care now have a big and cosy room of their own to recuperate, relax and recover in. (Now, we just have to wait for the swallows to finish nesting so we can close the window!)

22.01.2022 It is any wonder that Australia has the highest rate of mammalian extinction in the world and is second only to Indonesia for the extinction of both flora and fauna? "...less than 40% of listed threatened species have a recovery plan (but) having a plan is optional under national environmental law and is at the discretion of the minister. The Morrison government has committed millions in extra funding to speeding up environmental assessments for major projects,... the department was instead working with the government and the independent threatened species scientific committee to reevaluate which species should have a recovery plan." !!!

21.01.2022 Add 30 kangaroos to your land and government departments require biodiversity, biomass and grazing studies. Yet add a cow to your land who eats up to 60 kangaroos worth of feed - and no-one bats an eyelid. Why is this so? see the science below

21.01.2022 Just devastating. A must read for all Victorians. https://www.creativecowboyfilms.com//state-of-play-wildlif

20.01.2022 Thank you Dom for making the call, staying with the roo and writing the story! You’re the whole package. We urge everyone to take a moment to visit Dom’s Wildlife Photography page and hit the Follow button to keep updated on his amazing and beautiful work.

20.01.2022 The Australian Kangaroo Meat Industry is a blight on the landscape and perpetrator of extreme animal cruelty across the entire country night after night. Kangaroo meat is also unhygienic and laden with parasites and pathogens from poor hygiene standards and no regulation. Note, NO kangaroos and wallabies are farmed for human consumption but rather, are shot at a distance in the dark.

20.01.2022 My last post was about the "State of play: Wildlife in Victoria", which was an article written by Peter Hylands, who is an amazing and accomplished writer, film maker, and intellect who is devoting his efforts to the future of our animals. He uses carefully researched science and facts and figures to address politicians at the highest level. Peter and his wife, Andrea, are godsends for our wildlife. Peter and Andrea visited Helen and myself at our East Trentham Wildlife Shelter last week and, while surrounded by our own magnificent mob, we discussed the plight of our precious Victorian kangaroos. Here is the result. https://www.creativecowboyfilms.com/b/another-silent-spring

19.01.2022 Can anyone help please? Some time ago, our fabulous vet, Laura, provided us with a number of second hand IV infusion pumps to enable us to better care for critically sick animals at our shelter. Other great vets who visit our shelter to examine and treat our animals establish intravenous infusion lines and administer IV meds for us. This has been a game-changer. Thanks to this technology and wonderful assistance, our survival rates have increased considerably. Recently, I a...ttempted to place an order for the infusion giving sets that fit our machines, (which are quite expensive), to find that this product is no longer available because the pumps and the special infusion sets have been discontinued. I have conducted extensive web searches for alternative suppliers and possible alternate brands, without success, rendering our life-saving pumps useless! The infusion sets are called Smiths Primary Sets (Ref 8C820). Our pumps are Graseby 3000 model. If anyone knows of medical suppliers or medical centres that might have redundant stock and can help us obtain more giving sets, we would be eternally in your debt and more than grateful for your assistance. Our only other choice is to purchase newer pumps, but these are awfully expensive, and beyond our meagre budget.

18.01.2022 With the cold weather and strange Covid days that abound us, just thought you might like to see some shelter sights to warm the cockles of your heart. Helen XoX

18.01.2022 Following his epic rescue from down a mineshaft about a week ago, and after spending 8 days in care at our wildlife shelter for rest and his recovery, I have just taken Brad Pit back to his home. Carrying him well away from the track to avoid disturbance from vehicles and motorbikes by myself, I think that he has put on weight! I am now sitting here in his beautiful forest waiting for him to wake up.

17.01.2022 I had the thrill and privilege to rescue a monster brown snake in Malmsbury a couple days ago. It was the largest brown snake that I had ever encountered. Eastern brown snakes are regarded as the second most venomous snake species in the world, which makes their rescue and handling exciting and demanding of careful approach. This poor snake was another victim of bird netting entanglement and was in real trouble. Aside from the strangulation, and being suspended above ground, ...the temperature was in the 30s and so the snake was at risk of suffering heat exposure as well. I have come across many of these situations where the snake had been literally ‘cooked’ by the sun while trapped in the netting. The rescue was therefore urgent. I apologise for the poor selection of photos as I was on my own and I needed both my hands most of the time. At one stage, the snake wrapped its tail around my wrist which, while forming a brilliant bracelet, didn’t make my job any easier. The property owner was watching me cut the snake from his netting but he didn’t have a telephoto lens that would have been necessary from where he was standing :). Holding the snake’s neck for the final release cut was intense as I could feel the amazing strength it had, and I was conscious of the possibility it might slip from my grasp. At those temperatures, snakes are extremely reactive, and very fast. Once released from the netting, there was no appreciation shown and I had to be extra careful when I assessed its mobility and check for injuries and possible need for care. At an impressive length of about 1.7m, its striking distance was equally impressive. I found a perfect release site a few km away that had large rocks, fallen trees and beautiful river frontage. Properties from people that fail to pay my bill often make perfect release sites! (Joking, of course). While I don't charge to rescue injured snakes, this caller truly cared about the snake's welfare and was kind enough to make a donation to our shelter. He will also replace his netting with a wildlife-friendly alternative. If you can get your finger through the mesh, it is dangerous (and now not legal).

16.01.2022 Another mineshaft rescue today. And this time, after many of these rescues, we got it on film. This big boy was happened upon by some young kids playing in Drummond. It was lucky he was, as it could take a kangaroo weeks to die down one of these.... Approx 7 metres down, he'd been clawing at the walls with no escape, but thankfully didn't appear to have been down there too long. He appears in good health, and is back at the shelter for assessment, but hopefully can be released soon.

15.01.2022 This evening I’m chatting with Helen and Manfred from Five Freedoms Animal Rescue. Helen and Manfred play such a critical role in wildlife rescue and care in V...ictoria, both dedicating their lives to ensuring they provide around the clock assistance to wildlife in need. As you know, last week we took some really positive steps forward for wildlife with the government supporting my Private Members Bill to establish a new authority for wildlife rescue, modelled off other emergency services like the SES and CFA. Helen and Manfred will share their thoughts on this new authority we’ve named Wildlife Rescue Victoria. They’ll also explain the issue of mineshafts that exist throughout Western Victoria something many people aren’t aware of, but often result in wildlife injury. Listen in to learn what you can do if you come across a mineshaft with wildlife trapped inside.

15.01.2022 What are you up to on World Kangaroo Day? www.WorldKangarooDay.org #Worldkangarooday #KangaroosAlive... #KangarooTheMovie #KangaroosMatter #Wildlife #WildlifeConservation See more

14.01.2022 Mineshaft Update! Following Saturday’s rescue from the mineshaft in Drummond North, our boy is still in care and has been named Brad Pit. Brad’s career in care got off to a shaky start, when it became apparent that his condition was worse for wear. ... After initially putting him under cover in an enclosure with a yard and shed, where he looked good, at 11pm, Brad showed by standing hunched over, soaking wet and shivering in the rain that his misadventure had affected him more than first thought. So, Manfred and I bundled him up and raced him up to the house to be dried off and put into our fully enclosed verandah of the house. Brad seemed to welcome a second rescue by snuggling down under blankets, (with a hot water bottle), for the night. Next morning, as we checked with trepidation, we were delighted to find Brad up and eating enjoying our hospitality. Although Brad likes our special muesli and vetch hay, it’s the fresh green grass we pick for him that is his favourite dish on the menu. Brad has bruised and swollen feet and may need at least a week or two in care with antibiotics and anti inflammatories So, it looks like we’ll be hitting the roadside verges to pick lots of grass in order to keep our boy happy. A quick look at the upcoming wet weather forecast for Trentham for the next week doesn’t fill us with the same joy but he’s worth it. The trust Brad has shown us in responding to help tops off the success of a rescue. Here’s a little video of Brad snacking with Manfred this morning. Cheers all, Helen

14.01.2022 Our huge thanks go to the Woodend Pharmacy and the community of the Macedon Ranges. We didn't even know that the pharmacy had initiated a donation tin to raise awareness and funds for our rescue work and care of wildlife at our East Trentham Wildlife Shelter. During these trying times of Covid-19, job losses and isolation requirements, we are amazed by the generosity and support that we have received. We may be subject to social distancing rules, but we have never felt more connected. Thank you everyone.

13.01.2022 Thank you Wildlife Victoria for improving our feeding regime. Thanks to the feeder’s lip, our roos can’t scrape feed out onto the ground with their hands nor tread on and spill feed bowls on the ground like they used to. AND.... because the feeder holds hay above the food and the hay falls there, wastage is again reduced. The savings on feed and hygiene improvements have been enormous!

11.01.2022 As occurs all too often, my day started with a call for a kangaroo entangled in a fence, and with a joey hopping frantically nearby. The caller, Bob, had cut the kangaroo from the fence but the animal was injured and unable to get up. This was just as well, as most ‘fence-hangers’ have life-threatening injuries and almost always need medical care. It was therefore essential to attend as quickly as possible to ensure that the wounded kangaroo did not escape, and to capture its... dependent joey. There was nothing unusual about this scenario, but a few aspects of this rescue highlight the importance of a quick response. Upon arrival, I sighted the injured kangaroo lying beside the fence, but I didn’t see the joey anywhere. I hoped that maybe it managed to get back into its mother’s pouch. When I assessed the situation with my binoculars, I discovered a tiny body laying lifeless in the grass, not far from its mum. Mum tried to get up when I approached and, given the time that elapsed since she was cut free, I was concerned that she might have recovered enough to be able to flee. As a precaution, I decided to dart the mum rather than risk an approach with a blanket. After impact of the dart, mum leapt to her bloodied feet, jumped the fence, and bounded across neighbouring fields. My fear for her escape was validated and I was hugely relieved to have delivered a dart. It took Bob and I some 45 minutes to find her laying sedated under a distant tree. I collected the joey, intending to deliver her little body into the forest on my way home. When I picked her up, she was stone cold and limp, but I detected a faint heartbeat and shallow breathing. She was barely alive, but she was alive! I placed her under my coat and took her home, together with her mum. At home, and after much gentle warming, the little joey’s life returned, and she called out for her mum and became bright and alert. A little miracle. Her mum, unfortunately, has significant wounds to both her feet and will require intensive care for many weeks for any chance for recovery. But her wounds look treatable and we will do our best to save her, and we are back to 12 kangaroos in our house!

10.01.2022 Please everyone. Time is desperately running out for Victoria's waterbirds. The Andrews government is on the verge of announcing their decision about a 2021 duck season which they are signalling will go ahead. During 16 years of duck rescue, I can't tell you how many times I have witnessed images such as the video below. It is hard to believe it hasn't been banned. This beautiful little Pink-Eared duck is an example of a common victim left injured by shooters. Pinkies have ...little meat to harvest but are often easy targets when in large flocks. As more birds get shot, the Pink-Eared duck get chucked out of shooters bags to get replaced by more sought after species such as Black duck. Recent GMA data has revealed that a staggering 87% of duck shooters do not know how to dispatch (kill) a wounded bird humanely, despite all of them receiving special booklets instructing how to do so. (1) Ultimately, the decision to allow a duck shooting season rests with the Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews ([email protected]). All indications are that he will approve a season for 2021. Please also message the Minister for Environment, Lily D'Ambrosio (lily.d'[email protected]), Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas ([email protected]) and your local Labor MP. (1) GMA Hunter knowledge survey 2020

10.01.2022 #Nike You can do so much better! PLEASE SHARE #KangaroosAreNotShoes @centerforahumaneeconomy @animalwellnessaction @nike Each one of us has the power to save these wild kangaroos and joeys by simply not buying these shoes.

10.01.2022 Thank you to Jayde from JD Painting Co. for spending the last three days donating her time and labour to paint here at our wildlife shelter and a huge thank you to Dulux Paints for their generous donation of paint and fillers. If you’re looking for a top notch painter to do a top notch job, have we got the painter and paint for you!!

09.01.2022 World Kangaroo Day is the 24th October. Here’s the real science about kangaroos as opposed to the industry spin and green washing fed to the public. Please take a minute to read and share.

09.01.2022 I am sick of seeing our politicians cower from making important decisions. For our society to mature and improve, we often have to make decisions that aren’t popular with everyone. I am particularly sick of hearing politicians say that they personally don’t like duck shooting, but then comment that many people see it as a good recreational pastime. Many people thought it was OK to deny marriage equality. Many people thought it was OK to make racist comments. Many people t...hought it was OK for women not to have a vote. Many people thought it was OK not to wear a mask to protect others against Covid-19. Many people aren’t always right! Tradition, culture and personal opinions are not adequate excuses when it comes to what we accept in our society. To change for the good, we need to stand up against the bad. Just because ‘many people’ have a certain opinion, does not make it right. Duck shooting is bad. Those who defend duck shooting are bad. My message to all politicians: Stand up, grow some balls, and make a decision that is based on what is right. I am over your apathy. Quite frankly, I want you to do your job. You have an obligation to represent the wishes of the majority of Victorians. You have an obligation to make decisions based on science, evidence and fact. You have an obligation to abolish unnecessary cruelty against animals. Manfred Zabinskas OAM. Please contact your local and state Labor MPs and remind them of their obligations. Tell them that you want duck shooting banned in Victoria forever. Contact Daniel Andrews ultimately, the decision, and obligation, is his. Email your Premier, [email protected] or phone him on 03 9651 5000 https://talkbox.impactapp.com.au//LiRpktgHSENjnUxwnQy0cg==

09.01.2022 So few shooters, (with the GMA reporting only 100 shooters across Victoria on Saturday), and still yet so many serious breaches reported including: alleged snorting of drugs off a picnic table before commencing hunting with a firearm, (the shooter was approached and was in possession of a bag of white powder hunters failing to humanely kill wounded birds as required footage appearing to show a shooter throwing a live injured bird into a boat with his dogs... numerous reports of apparent breaches of social distancing directives with groups of shooters huddled in boats As has been the case every year, shooters cannot be trusted and neither can the GMA as only two out of 44 formal complaints ever resulting in convictions. Thing is, Labor politicians stated that if shooters broke restrictions, Labor would consider cancelling the season early. Please write to the Labor Ministers below and remind them of their promise and ask them to keep it. Premier - Daniel Andrews [email protected] Environment Minister - Lily D’Ambrosio mailto:[email protected] Agriculture Minister - Jaclyn Symes [email protected]

08.01.2022 While still a little bit groggy from the sedatives required to transport him safely, Brad Pit eventually woke up, spent an hour feeding his face and finally realised he was back in familiar territory. Brad hopped off back to his home. This is what I call a perfect day.

07.01.2022 Day 6 of our team profiles! Manfred Zabinskas OAM, BSc (Environmental Management). __________ Manfred is a legend in wildlife rescue and care and is well known ...as one of Australia’s most expert kangaroo rescuers and darters. He is the deserving recipient of a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2020 for his service to animal welfare, and the Pride of Australia medal in 2005 for his efforts in wildlife rescue and contribution to animal welfare. Manfred has been involved in wildlife rescue for 30 years, and over the past 13 years has conducted over 2400 dartings, with the vast majority being kangaroos. He is famous for the complexity of the rescues he undertakes, and has successfully rescued kangaroos from incredibly difficult and traumatic circumstances. Manfred has on many occasions abseiled down mine shafts to winch our kangaroos trapped at the bottom, rescuing them from certain death. He regularly undertakes urban kangaroo rescues, is experienced in darting in high density environments and is an incredibly experienced fireground darter. He has been instrumental in darting and rescue during all the main fires of the last few decades. Manfred has been involved in wildlife rehabilitation since the 1990s and operates the East Trentham Wildlife Shelter with his partner where they always have many (currently 25!) kangaroos in care. He is also the owner and operator of Five Freedoms Animal Rescue, which specialises in the humane management of animals adversely affected by human activity. With some 25 years’ experience as a design and construction engineer Manfred also brings a wealth of experience in the areas of project management, quality assurance, risk assessment and occupational health and safety protocols. He has developed the Standard Operating Procedures for Tranquilliser Darting which are an instrumental part of our submission to DELWP to dart and relocate our Kinley Kangas. We are stoked to have Manfreds legendary experience on our team! #savethekinleykangas

06.01.2022 For two years, Helen has been pestering me to build some form of roofing or fit a shade sail to provide shade in our joey yard. I had been reluctant to fit another shade sail as the last one ended up collecting a mass of hailstones during a violent storm and that consequently collapsed the walls of our enclosure. My goal was to build an actual shed as part of the yard but that meant a lot of expense and a lot of work and designing and marking out and a list of other excuses t...o prevent progress. The other day it was a beautiful 26 degrees in East Trentham, yet the yard temperature hit 45 degrees! The synthetic turf, while great for cleaning and hygiene, acts like a heat sink and Helen was right a need to provide shade was now desperate given summer is upon us. So, on Monday, I finally got off my arse and started digging holes for the poles. I figured that even if I didn’t build the shed straight away, I could use the poles to secure another sail like the one Helen purchased about a year ago. 300 mm down and bedrock! Not a hope of breaking through. Yesterday, I engineered an alternative design to provide adequate strength should we experience another storm. The pictures tell the rest. Now Helen thinks she is right about everything!!

06.01.2022 Wow, what a privilege to be on the receiving end of so much generosity, support and love. We are truly humbled. We can't thank Kate and Andrew and The Care Initiative enough and to all of the supporters of this fantastic organisation. It didn't take long for our joeys to relax in their beautiful new pouches, for me to pig out on that amazing cake (I'm not good at sharing), and we actually used the new incubation box for a sick little forest bat that came into care that night. Helen and I couldn't do the work we do without this type of support and, together, we can do great things for our wildlife. Thank you.

04.01.2022 And this is why we need insulated hospital rooms. Yes, that’s a blizzard outside! The rooms aren’t quite finished but necessity has overruled again. Shame we di...dn’t get to seal the floor!!!! More of a shame that I haven’t found someone to install the new split system for heating yet. 18 kangaroos in lounge now. Only 6 are in pouches. Our dear Reda added to our house mob last night after emergency surgery to her toe. Story to follow. See more

03.01.2022 Help us celebrate NAIDOC Week with our awesome kangaroos! Kangaroos have developed a number of adaptations to a dry, infertile country and highly variable clima...te. As with all marsupials, the young are born at a very early stage of developmentafter a gestation of 3136 days. At this stage, only the forelimbs are somewhat developed, to allow the newborn to climb to the pouch and attach to a teat. When the joey is born, it is about the size of a lima bean. The joey will usually stay in the pouch for about nine months, before starting to leave the pouch for small periods of time. It is usually fed by its mother until reaching 18 months. In some of the Victorian First Nation's clans languages kangaroos are called corra (Jardwadjali - Grampians region), jerra (Ganai - Gippsland area), kiemeer (Jodajoda - North East Victoria), Tymna (Jodajoda - North East Victoria) and tuilbah (Yaitmathang - North East Victoria). We wish all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a happy NAIDOC week 2020. #NAIDOCWeek2020 #alwayswasalwayswillbe

01.01.2022 7 weeks ago, a team from Edgar's Mission and some of our other great friends helped with the rescue of a kangaroo from down a mine shaft. We named him Brad Pit and his story has made it onto Animalkind, USA TODAY Network! Unfortunately, Brad successfully hopped back home so can't accept any Emmys. https://www.facebook.com/animalkindstories/videos/296977174956179/

01.01.2022 Hot on the heels of the twin eastern brown snake rescue just 4 days ago, I received a call for another snake that fell victim to treacherous netting. This time it was for a magnificent red-bellied black snake. The callers respected snakes and enjoyed seeing them on their property, as long as it wasn’t too close to the house, and were very concerned about the poor snake caught in the netting which they used to exclude rabbits from their veggies. They were so concerned that th...ey cut a portion of the netting containing the snake and delivered it to me, a 45 minute drive. Hubby appeared very comfortable around the snake (somewhat more than the missus) and did a fantastic job to secure it into a plastic tub with abundant tape and tie-down strapping. The snake was huge. During my attempts to cut away the netting, the snake regularly wriggled off the table. Liz, one of the fabulous volunteers at our shelter, agreed to help hold the giant serpent so that I could concentrate on the net removal. Not a huge fan of snakes, and with trembling knees, Liz was very brave and did a great job to assist in the restraint of the snake, which was her very first experience in handling a snake. She did, however, mention what she would do if I let go of my end. I didn’t realise that she could be so rude. The netting was wrapped right around the snake’s head, so I had to hold it by the neck to be able to safely complete the cutting and free the snake. Kids, don’t do this at home. Once free, we exchanged a few parting pleasantries, and the red-bellied black snake was returned to his home by the callers who saved and delivered him. They were great caring people and a wonderful contrast to the cowardly idiots that claim the only good snake is a dead snake. This was a beautiful animal, and one of Australia’s magnificent wildlife species. I love saving them all. And all of our animals deserve being saved.