Over the past seven years Red Box Wildlife Shelter has provided a safe haven for hundreds of injured kangaroos while building and enhancing their facility to include; a fully operational vet clinic (complete with X-Ray machine), a dedicated ICU equipped with monitoring cameras, a convalescent cabin and rehabilitation pens and facilities designed to assist these noble creatures to heal and recuperate before being released back into the wild.
Nikki Medwell and her husband Scott have always been passionate about wildlife rescue and after buying the 60 acre property in Elphinstone and meeting the local inhabitants, their fate was sealed.
“Seven years later and our entire lives revolve around them,” said Nikki who works full time at the shelter.
Nikki fondly recalls her first rescue ‘Mr Boo’ who’s mum had been shot and killed leaving the tiny, helpless joey alone. When he was old enough Mr Boo was released into the wild, taking off with a mob for six months before returning to his first home. Mr Boo and Nikki have an incredible bond and he makes sure to make an appearance from time to time and make sure Nikki’s doing okay.
With no government funding the shelter relies on public donation and the assistance of volunteers. The team at Red Box consists of six volunteers, a dedicated vet ‘Dr Mark’ who travels to the clinic once a month, Nikki who is up at 4am every morning and working 18 hour days and her husband Scott who works full time and builds the shelter infrastructure.
For the past four years the shelter has been providing free assistance kits to people in the shire to help empower them to stop if they see injured wildlife.
“I started the kits after a woman messaged me telling me she was on her way to work and hit a roo,” said Nikki.
“She didn’t know what to do, she was dressed for work and running late and had driven many kilometres while she was thinking about how to respond. All day long she was eaten up with guilt and the idea of making the kits were born from her story.”
The simple packs are designed to give people confidence and knowledge to stop and help injured animals and consist of two pillow cases to safely carry joeys, an information sheet with instructions and phone numbers, and a nifty red and white stripped banner and a piece of string to assist wildlife rescuers to find the animal if you need to leave.
The free packs are now available at the Castlemaine Mail office at 13 Hargraves Street so hop in today and grab yourself some peace of mind.
Packs are also available at Mount Alexander Animal Welfare (MAAW), the Salvos, and Good Op Shop, Elphinstone and Chewton post offices, all Maldon and Community Bank branches and Hip Pocket.
These useful resources require a lot of pillow cases, so if you have any lying around that you’d like to donate, or you’re interested in volunteering please email the shelter at: elroos3448@gmail.com.
For more information www.redboxwildlifeshelter.com.au