Wild Days Wildlife Shelter

01/09/2026

Possums amaze us at their adaptability to survive in their ever shrinking habitat as our urban developments are ever expanding.

However at times they need our help. Over the last couple of weeks I have been called on to help these two.

One a ringtail possum that unfortunately whilst using the popular ‘possum highway’ (powerlines) to travel above our busy roads to get from one tree to the next, it must have touched a second line and become electrocuted. His injuries were horrific when he was found in someone’s backyard a couple of days later. Still alive but hunched over covered in flies and maggots.

One front paw had been cooked with only dried bone remaining. The back leg on the same side had been snapped and twisted almost completely around with an obvious burn mark across the poor possum’s torso. (I won’t include a picture of this injury , it’s too confronting). The pain he would have been in would have been immense as he was being slowly eaten alive by maggots, clearly unable to climb a tree or forage for food.

I gently picked him up rushing him to an emergency vet for sedation and euthanasia.

The second case was a brushtail possum that had unexpectedly ended up inside a garbage truck. I received the urgent call one morning. The driver had luckily spotted the possum in his mirror scrambling up out of the compacter onto the arm of the truck as it was lifting up rubbish bins, and immediately stopped the truck and pulled over. Assuming the possum had been inside one of the bins and was emptied with the garbage into the crushing compactor.

When I arrived I found the confused possum climbing amongst the machinery with greasy matted fur. I gently caught her and took her straight to Kay at Wild Days Wildlife Shelter for assessment as she didn’t appear to have life threatening injuries but no doubt was suffering from stress at the very least.

Kay did a thorough examination when I arrived finding the possum had burn marks on both of her paws and one foot, (likely from the mechanics in the truck), along with signs of trauma to her hips. The saddest find though was that from the look of her pouch and teat size, she had it appears had a pair of babies in there estimated to be around 300g each . They were both gone, assumed fallen out inside the truck compactor which by now was back working emptying bins and crushing the contents of them.

Should I have searched for possible babies at the time I rescued the mother possum? Would they have still been alive? We will never know. Their mother would be mourning their loss as she recovers in the expert care of Kay.

Latest update is that she is recovering well and will be able to be released soon. Luckily the driver of the truck was able to provide a fairly accurate address of approximately where she had been picked up so we know where to take her back to.

This is the way of wildlife rescue. Mostly heartbreak sadly but the ones that we do end up saving to be able to be released again make the heartbreak a little easier to take.

19/08/2026

As the weather starts to change, the wildlife are on the move and tiny babies are showing their faces.

I wanted to acknowledge the incredible work of the vets, vet nurses and staff at sister clinics Clyde Vet and Lynbrook Vet who are continuously going above and beyond for our beautiful wild neighbours.

Wild Days thanks you for all of them. 💚

11/08/2026

I was delighted to be part of this Youth Climate Summit, speaking with many keen climate aware students about environmental volunteering and how to create a better future for wildlife.

Last Thursday, Samantha, Adriel, Yashika, Adidev and Abhiveer took part in the City of Casey Youth Climate Summit. Hosted by Casey Tech School, the event brought together students from many local schools to participate in hands-on workshops, listen to keynote speakers, and meet experts and volunteers working in the sustainability space.

Students were inspired by hearing from representatives of the Dolphin Research Institute and Wild Days Wildlife Shelter, lecturers from RMIT and Monash University, environment officers from engineering firms, and a local Indigenous flora and fauna guide. Each speaker highlighted career pathways focused on mitigating climate change and protecting the environment.

Well done to Senuri and Anaaya, who are members of the City of Casey Youth Climate Action Committee and helped organise the day.

05/08/2026

🦢💚

30/07/2026

26/07/2026

Another great effort. Wild Days' team spent today helping create habitat at this year's Casey National Tree Day planting!
Go Wild Days!

01/07/2026

I am so sad, frightened and confused. Please help me!

I was being a good boy. I was just starting to learn how to climb out of the pouch and hang on tight to Mum's back. It was fun. I still slept in Mum's pouch where it is warm and snug and had my milk.
Can someone please help me?
I want to know why I was taken away from my Mum!
I want to know why my Mum was killed! She was healthy. She looked after me. We lived in the trees but with all the freezing cold weather, she found a wonderful place to keep me safe and warm.
My Mum did not know that the place she chose was part of a roller door. She just knew she had to keep me safe. There were big openings both ends so we could go in and sleep.
If the people in the house with the roller door did not want us there, why didn't they know to just wait until we went out at night for our dinner and just block the holes up. We could have found somewhere else warm, I'm sure.
Why didn't the people know they could even get a possum box and put in the tree for us? It is hard to find somewhere safe and warm with so many trees being cut down all the time.
Why did the people to catch Mum and Me and dump us at the vet?
Why didn't the vet tell the people that they can block off the roller door and release us back home close to their house?
Why did the vet have to take Me away from my Mum?
Why did the vet kill my Mum?
I am so sad. I don't know how I am going to do without her. How will I learn what I need?
Why did the vet not educate the people?
Why did the vet not know they don't have to kill?
Why didn't they know that we are native wildlife and are meant to be protected? Why didn't they know there are options?
Why didn't the people or the vets ask wildlife people to help before they killed my Mum?
Why didn't they know that wildlife people can help put up possum boxes, to help arrange one way doors, to help block off roller doors, to save the unnecessary death of my Mum?
I am so so sad, it hurts.
😭😭😭😭😭

Please please please! We need to live together.
It is cold. Be tolerant.
Mum was trying to be a good Mum. Wouldn't you?
We take away their tree homes and then complain when they find an alternative.
There are options.
Please please please call wildlife people for help.
Don't just kill. They don't deserve it.

Little one does not deserve losing his Mum due to lack of education and tolerance.

27/06/2026

Another wave.... wildlife rescue and care always goes in waves.
If there is a call out for one Tawny frogmouth, there will be many call outs in that day or week. Something to do with seasons, weather, breeding season or human movement, length of daylight and the clash of dawn/dusk with peak traffic.

At the moment it is swans.
Sadly in the heart of suburbia, swans have to walk the roads to get from A to B. They have cygnets in tow.
Many adult and young swans getting skittled by cars in recent days.
The combination of it being dark during peak traffic, wetlands spanning both sides of busy roads, and swans being black, means it is a sad state of affairs at the moment.
It is also common due to the size of the swans when walking that they are hit in the side, often fracturing hips or pelvis, meaning they can waddle away but are seriously hurt.
The last week has been thick fog early in the evening and many swan collisions.
Please please drive slowly when driving on roads with roadside wetlands.
Look out for a little bit of red on their beak or a little flash of white on their wings. Slow down if you think there might be something on the road.
Our beautiful swans need a hand.

Keep our wildlife safe.

Thanks xx
Kay

21/06/2026

The amount of times I walk past this aviary and panic because I cannot find the tawny!

Love their camouflage. 💚
Amazing wildlife.

21/06/2026

We had a very productive day today thanks to the Wild Days' team at our Winter Working bee! Always so much to do.

Great day for it!
It was a shame the ground was too wet to mow :)
Thank you all, including our little recruit, Kai.

Kay
xx