Mid North Coast residents have rallied together to ensure the wellbeing of animals as well as humans were upheld during record hot conditions on February 11 and February 12.
The What’s On in Wauchope Facebook page has become a common meeting ground for those seeking refuge for their animals.
Many people have offered pets and livestock a place to stay or paddocks at nearby locations including Sancrox, King Creek and Rollands Plains.
The Wauchope Show Ground opened its gates to all public and their animals who needed to evacuate on February 12.
The show ground also provided a place for all pets ‘big and small’ to stay. Stables were available for horses.
Wauchope Vets are treating injured animals from the Belangry and Pappinbarra fires.
On their Facebook page staff posted ‘please bring them in ASAP for FREE assessment and first aid’.
The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital assistant clinical director Scott Castle said some of their koalas are very crook and the heat can be debilitating for the animals.
However he said koalas in general are well adapted to coping in extreme weather conditions.
Mr Castle said koalas are well insulated marsupial.
He said they will also open up their chest to catch any breeze.
During the hot weather on February 12 supervisors and volunteers at the hospital used a hose to imitate rain falling on the koalas in an effort to keep them cool.
Billabong Zoo Koala and Wildlife Park head keeper Christy Brown said the hot conditions were definitely out of the ordinary.
“We’re lucky we don’t often get temperatures like that here in Port Macquarie,” she said.
Ms Brown said at one stage she looked at the temperature gauge and it gave a reading of 46 degrees celsius.
The zoo had a staff member who dedicated their time to doing rounds of the enclosures to check animals had enough water throughout the day.
Native animals including emus, kangaroos and wombats were kept cool by using a water hose and pools were placed in enclosures.
Ms Brown said dingoes who don’t normally enjoy taking baths were happy to.
Snow leopards were supplied with large ice blocks which they wrapped themselves around to keep cool.
Staff members also fed the snow leopards, cheetahs and lions frozen blocks of meat.
Monkeys were provided with fruit and juice blocks to provide them with relief from the heat.
Ms Brown said it was important staff kept a watchful eye on animals most vulnerable in the hot weather including old kangaroos and the young.
