Five Freedoms Animal Rescue

19/04/2025

Not so well in a well.

The call came in on April 1. A report had been made to Wildlife Victoria about a number of reptiles trapped in an abandoned well – 2 eastern brown snakes, 2 shingleback lizards, and a lace monitor. 2 dead kangaroos were also reported to be down the well. I hoped it was an April-fool’s joke, but it wasn’t.

I headed there the next morning, to a place called Bet Bet, with our German shelter volunteer, Viola. The well was an animal deathtrap with steep sides and a slippery grass perimeter. It was almost invisible in the landscape. The well was full of bricks, timber and debris. It was also full of bones from past victims and 2 kangaroo corpses that were in the process of decaying. None of the reported reptiles were visible, but there was much to hide under. The 2 eastern brown snakes were of particular concern and the animals to be targeted first.

In order to safely access the well, I used my car as an anchor for tying ropes, and I abseiled down onto a ladder. I wanted a quick escape in case the eastern brown snakes gave me grief. While I was carefully searching for the snakes, I found the first victim – a shingleback lizard, that was in very poor condition. Further searching revealed a goanna hiding under a large metal stillage that was full of soil and bricks. I managed to grab its tail and safely extract the animal. It was a sand goanna – beautiful. It too was in poor condition and needed urgent care, not that it appreciated my efforts. Still no snakes. There were a number of metal sheets buried under bricks, hiding cavities underneath. This rescue project was shaping up to be hard work. I began removing debris and countless bricks, piling them up against the wall. Fortunately, I sighted some scales deep under bricks and I was able to carefully uncover an eastern brown snake, the second most venomous snake species in the world. But there was no sign of the second reported snake. While searching further, I discovered 2 olive legless lizards – animals that were often mistaken as baby snakes and killed. But I still couldn’t find the second snake nor the second shingleback. I had no choice but to fully remove every single brick, every piece of steel and every piece of timber. There was nowhere left to hide, and I could only assume that the reports were inaccurate. And I was exhausted.

The eastern brown snake was the only animal that was in good condition and who was consequently released straight away. It makes me wonder who else might have been down there until they met the snake. All other animals went into care, thanks to Simon Watharow – reptile guru.

Wildlife Victoria have reported this situation to the local council in the hope that something could be done to avoid future entrapments.

05/04/2025

Yesterday we played host to a film crew from The Netherlands that wanted the TRUTH about the horrors of the kangaroo industry that occurs under the shroud of darkness.
Here, Manfred from Five Freedoms Animal Rescue chats about the cruelty he has witnessed as a rescuer.
Notice the adidas boots? Oh yes, adidas came under fire for using kangaroo skins to make boots 😡
Dear little Pyrn, unaware of this fact played with the shoestrings with only the innocence of a child could.
Tania was Terra Mater Wildlife Shelter Inc. was here also and the unsustainability of the industry was discussed along with the fact the meat is not healthy (which is why some countries refuse to import it). Intestinal worms and meat worms were discussed as was disappearing Great Men, taking their much needed strong gene pool with them. It was a big day.
To top off the day I received an email from a Legislative Aide in New York to discuss a bill with congress at the moment to help kangaroos. The day felt productive.
If you do not know what happens at night across this country, please educate yourself. Ignorance in an era where knowledge is at your fingertips is no longer an excuse.
It's a 90 minute film with 9 minutes of confronting footage. I'm sure you can spare yourself the images if the kangaroos are actually going through it.
https://tubitv.com/movies/569707/kangaroo-a-love-hate-story?utm_source=justwatch-feed&tracking=justwatch-feed

12/03/2025

It is always a pleasure, a relief, and a thrill to help an animal in need. But the feeling is so much more joyous and precious when the animal is saved from a certain and hideous death, and then to be blessed with a life at Edgar’s Mission.

14/02/2025

Rucky Vs Genghis

I received many criticisms and comments that my last video showing Kransky Tyson attacking a teddy bear was concerning and upsetting. To those concerned about the welfare of the kangaroos in our care or our motives, I will explain about kangaroo kick-boxing. And thank you for caring.

We raise and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned kangaroo joeys at our licenced wildlife shelter in Central Victoria. Many of the joeys are tiny when they come into care, and some don’t even have fur. They spend months in a sewn cloth pouch that replicates their natural life in their mother’s pouch. There are many things joeys must learn during their growth, such as how to toilet by themselves, eating dirt and grass, and walking and hopping. They also learn how to interact with other kangaroos, which involves playing and practice fighting. Fighting is a real, natural and necessary skill and essential to the ecology of mobs and the kangaroo species as a whole. They generally only fight with other kangaroos, but joeys that are raised by human carers live in an artificial environment. This is unavoidable. We don’t teach nor encourage joeys to fight or kick. We don’t need to. Instinct dictates a joey’s desire to play fight. It is nature’s way of the animal acquiring life skills that are needed to survive. Joeys love to practice kicking each other (in a gentle way). If the joey is by itself, or kangaroo opponents aren’t available at the time, any object will do; clothes on the washing line, children’s playground equipment, pot plants, mum or dad (us), and teddy bears. Play fighting continues well into their adult life. It is about training, practicing, developing skill, and having fun. It is not violent and rarely results in injury. That comes much later, when 2 large bucks fight for dominance, to become the alpha male, and consequently to have the right to breed. Just like Aussie men at a pub on a Friday night.

Rucky and Genghis featuring in this video were both little joeys at our shelter a long time ago, just like Kransky is now. They too played and practiced kick-boxing in the shed, and in the enclosure yard, and around our property. They have now grown and have become young men. They live in the forest and come home to visit from time to time. They still play and practice fighting. They no longer kick inanimate objects. One day they will fight for real, as nature intended, and there will be no mistake about the seriousness of the contest.

Video: Samantha Bach

10/02/2025

Beware! We train our kangaroos to attack vicious bears on sight. This is Kransky Tyson in action.

Video: Ayuka Inagaki

09/02/2025

09/02/2025

The risks of unprotected disused gold mines are currently being discussed in parliament thanks to Georgie Purcell MP, Animal Justice Party. In the meantime, animals continue to suffer and die. Risks to people, especially rescuers, continue unabated. Just two days ago, the reality of these risks was again exposed. This is the story of a particularly tragic and dangerous event.

A chance discovery of another wallaby down a mineshaft was made in central Victoria. It wasn’t a particularly deep shaft with a reported depth of about 3 metres, so it was hoped that this was to be a straightforward rescue requiring just a ladder. Local rescue volunteers Gary and Sandra travelled straight there to attempt the rescue. Unfortunately, the estimated depth wasn’t accurate, and their ladder was too short for a safe entry into the shaft. They called on the help of another rescuer, Patrick, who had a longer and sturdier ladder. But while organising to return, a bushfire broke out in the area of the mineshaft and the rescue had to be postponed. Once the fire was declared safe (same day), Gary and Patrick returned to the mineshaft, but the true difficulty and danger of this rescue quickly unfolded.

When the ladder was lowered down into the shaft, the wallaby disappeared! But where? There may have been an invisible overhang, or the shaft might have continued sideways underground, which was not uncommon. It was a case of plunging into the unknown to investigate. With the ladder tied to a nearby tree, Patrick descended and immediately felt the ladder sink into the base of the mine. He could see that there were voids in the floor and that the base was not stable. Thumping was heard from further below, which was obviously from the wallaby who somehow ended up further underground, perhaps intentionally through fear of the large metal ladder being lowered into his tiny, confined space. It was now late in the day, and it was not safe to continue without better equipment. The poor wallaby was to spend another terrifying night trapped. Gary returned at first light the next morning. We had hoped for a miracle that the wallaby had somehow managed to return to its original position and be in view. That wasn’t the case. I loaded my car with equipment and together with Ayuka, our live-in volunteer from Japan, we headed to the mine, which was a one-and-a-half-hour drive away.

Wearing a safety harness and with my climbing rope secured to a large tree, I climbed down the ladder to the base of the shaft. The space was too small to move around, and so Gary removed the ladder while I remained suspended from my rope. I was now able to crouch down and better assess the situation. The ground beneath me was indeed unstable and I could see large voids around the edges. I was standing on a mass of rusted metal objects entwined with rolls of old barbed wire that was covered in sticks and soil. I shone my torch through one of the gaps and could make out the body of the wallaby some 4 or 5 metres further down. Excitement quickly turned to sadness as I realised that the wallaby lay lifeless, with its head buried under debris. I was sure the wallaby was dead, but there was a slim chance that the wallaby may have just been unconscious and still alive. Even if deceased, the wallaby could be a female, and she might have a live joey in her pouch. We were compelled to complete the rescue.

I started removing sticks and wire and soil in my attempt to create a hole big enough to squeeze through. It was going to have to be a pretty big hole! As I removed material, I could feel the ground giving way beneath me. A few metal bars were too solid to shift, and I then realised that they were the handlebars of an old wheelbarrow. I was sitting on top of a wheelbarrow that was wedged across the shaft and which then became buried. There was no floor at all. It was too dangerous to contemplate climbing underneath with the risk of its collapse and myself becoming buried with the wallaby. I needed a new plan. I got Gary to lower my extendable dog-catching noose and prayed that it would be long enough to reach the wallaby. It was, just. I was able to noose the wallaby’s forearm and haul its body up and out. This was an awful procedure, but we needed to be sure the wallaby was dead and that there wasn’t a joey. It was a boy. What a horrible end for a beautiful little animal. I shudder to think of how many animals suffer like this poor wallaby did due to these man-made b***y traps. I also worry that a rescuer will be seriously hurt one day. Please MPs – listen to Georgie. This is a serious situation.

Purcell - Animal Justice Party MP

26/01/2025

Do we celebrate Australia Day? Or do we commiserate? As a wildlife shelter, the answer, unfortunately, is easy.

With colonisation came many negative impacts on our animals. We cleared forests, spread diseases, built fences, brought dogs and cats, kill for fun, and cross the landscape with trucks and cars. All of these have a disastrous consequence for wildlife. Yes, I already said this a year ago today, and exactly a year prior to that, and the year before, etc.

There is much damage to undo. But we CAN make a difference. Drive safely, contain and restrain your pets, choose wildlife friendly fencing, stop using illegal bird netting, don't buy products containing native animal meat and skins, oppose recreational killing of wildlife, respect our indigenous people.

I'd like to introduce you to Willis who I rescued yesterday, another victim of farm fencing. The sight of animals caught hanging in fences is horrific and upsetting. In most cases, it also spells death. This might be the case for Willis as well, we don't know yet. To reduce the risk of further injury, I darted Willis while he was still hung in the fence. Any approach would have caused him to thrash about and worsen his wounds. His head hung above the ground such that all his weight was suspended from tight wire strands wrapped around both his feet. Agony. Terror. Because both of his feet were caught, there was less chance he sustained a hip injury, the usual consequence for those caught by one leg.

After Willis was removed from the fence, I could see that his wounds were not necessarily life-threatening and I rushed him home for closer examination with Helen, who was to be late for work, again. I noticed that his upper lip was split, which I assumed was from bashing against lower fence wires. After cleaning him up, it appeared that this was an old, healed wound, giving him a face that only a mother could love. Well, and me. Helen did her magic and then raced off to work in Melbourne for the weekend, leaving me to have all the fun (with half a dozen volunteers, that is).

I spent much time with Willis who was visibly terrified, to show we weren't going to hurt him, and I regularly offered fresh grass, very tasty apple slices, and water. Healing begins when we win the animal's trust. I got the feeling that he acknowledged and appreciated my kindness, and so I slept next to him for a few hours before dragging myself off to bed at 3:00am. He looks much happier now, but the waiting game begins.

25/01/2025

Almost a year ago, I posted about animals getting tangled in illegal fruit netting. The laws may have changed, but peoples' care-factor has not. Month after month I continue to get called out to entanglements. Most people admit to knowing that they shouldn't be using this type of netting, but they all have a really good excuse as to why the laws shouldn't apply to them.

Here is a reminder why the laws are in place. My fear is that if we get mad, threaten people, or start reporting offenders, property owners may not call for help and an animal might be left to suffer. I guess it's a slow road to inform and educate, and the experience of causing injury to an animal might be what it takes. Pity for the animal.

Snakes (and other animals) get badly injured by being caught in illegal fruit netting. If you can poke your little finger through the mesh, it is illegal (in Victoria) – it must have a mesh size of 5mm x 5mm or less at full stretch. Non-compliant netting kills and injures animals such as birds, possums, flying foxes, lizards and snakes. Illegal netting needs to be removed and carefully disposed of. Even discarded nets laying on the ground or stored in an old shed have been found to contain animals that suffered a horrible and prolonged death from entanglement.

I rescued this tiger snake yesterday. Fortunately, it wasn't badly injured, and I was able to cut it free and release it straight away. The owner was genuinely concerned about the suffering the snake endured and the welfare of the animal. He even has other snakes on his property that he is happy to leave be. But he knew his netting was bad!