Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers Inc.

Adapted from an article written by Chrisy Clay for the Ballina Shire Advocate

Please look out for roaming echidnas: winter is the start of echidnas’ breeding season, and it’s when they’ll be regularly seen trying to cross roads in search of a mate. Echidnas are rarely seen any other time. They don’t cope well with warm weather and spend most of their time sheltering from the heat during spring and summer. Winter’s cooler temperatures enable echidnas to be active both day and night. During this time we receive many calls from people concerned about echidnas they’ve seen.

Old Fred the Echidna recovering from broken bones and a large abrasion to her nose after being hit by a car

Roads are their biggest hazard, with many echidnas injured or killed each year by motor vehicles. An echidna’s natural defence is to curl into a ball, presenting only their spines, until whatever is threatening them disappears. On sensing an approaching car they dig into the bitumen and curl up, leaving them very vulnerable. Echidnas can often sustain serious, life-threatening injuries after being hit by a car, yet show no outward sign that they are hurt, and many injuries are only identified by using X-rays and ultrasounds.

This is what recently happened to Old Fred, a breeding female. This very large old echidna was hit by a car at Wyrallah near Lismore. Thankfully the driver who hit her stopped and saw that she needed assistance. Whilst Old Fred survived the impact, she damaged her nose when she quickly curled up into a ball on the bitumen. Along with a serious abrasion across the tip, X-rays also revealed two broken bones in her nose. After consultation with local vets at Keen Street Vet Clinic in Lismore and the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, it was decided to rehabilitate the echidna for release back into the wild.

Old Fred was in care for over a month and her broken bones and abrasions healed nicely. After a full recovery she was successfully released close to where she was found, with the help of the person who initially called us for assistance. Thanks to this caring person, Old Fred now has another chance at life.

Dr Austin using dental cement to fix the anaesthetized Lorikeet's broken beak

Adapted from an article written by Chrisy Clay for the Ballina Shire Advocate

It’s not every day a dentist is asked to help repair a wild bird’s beak, but that’s just what was asked of Dr Kim Davies of Bytes Dental (Ballina). Approached by the Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers, Kim didn’t hesitate to lend a hand to repair the Lorikeet’s broken beak.

The Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, nicknamed “Beaky-Bill”, was rescued after flying into a window at Alstonville, unfortunately sustaining a significant fracture to the top part of its beak from the collision.

Beak fractures are not a common injury in wild birds, and there were concerns that the bird may lose a significant portion of its top beak.

Lorikeets are primarily nectar feeders, using lots of extremely fine hairs on the tip of their tongues to collect nectar from flowers. Without a top beak its nectar-gathering tongue would be permanently exposed, drying out its unique brush-like tip. If the Lorikeet’s tongue was damaged, it potentially wouldn’t be able to gather enough food and would eventually starve to death in the wild.

‘Beaky-Bill’ the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet recovering before being released back into the wild

As superglue is extremely toxic and potentially lethal to such a small bird, dental cement was the only option left and Bytes Dental donated the necessary cement as well as equipment for setting the product.

Dr Ray Austin from Keen Street Veterinary Clinic (Lismore) used the dental cement to fix the bird’s broken beak under anaesthesia. The outcome was extremely positive. The dental cement realigned the beak and gave it the strength necessary for the Lorikeet to feed and climb in the wild. As “Beaky-Bill” was a juvenile, it is hoped that the damaged portion of its beak will eventually grow out and be replaced by a healthy strong beak. In the meantime the dental cement will keep the beak together and allow it to feed naturally.

After two weeks recovery in a flight aviary, the Lorikeet was returned to Alstonville, hopefully a little bit wiser to the perils of windows. Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers would like to thank Bytes Dental and Keen Street Veterinary Clinic for their assistance in giving “Beaky-Bill” a second chance at life.