NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service
Encyclopedia
WIRES - NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service is
the largest wildlife rehabilitation
charity
in Australia
. It is a non-profit organisation providing rescue and rehabilitation for all native Australian fauna. All animal rescuers and carers are volunteers. It is funded by public donations and operates throughout the most populous Australian state, New South Wales
.
The main activities of WIRES is to respond to individual public reports of sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife. If necessary, trained WIRES volunteers will rescue (collect) the animal, foster it (provide treatment and care until it is healthy), and release it back into the wild. WIRES operates under an authority from a government agency, the National Parks and Wildlife Service
, allowing it to rescue and rehabilitate native animals, a practice which is generally forbidden by law in Australia.
In addition to the rehabilitation of individual animals, WIRES aims to improve native animal welfare
generally through:
was found in Hyde Park, Sydney
. No organisation, government or conservation group could be found to take responsibility for its care. Other animal welfare groups, such as the RSPCA, were not experienced with the needs of native animals, while the only suitable government agency, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, did not have the funding and staff levels needed to cope with injured fauna.
A small group of private citizens formed to take on this responsibility and, by learning from one another, built up the knowledge and experience to meet the unique needs of Australian wildlife. The network grew quickly and in 1986 WIRES was officially launched in Sydney. In 1987 it was incorporated as a non-profit organisation.
As at 2010, WIRES has a network of some 2200 volunteer members in 27 branches across NSW. WIRES received around 100,000 phone calls from the public in 2010, and rescued over 50,000 mammal
s, bird
s, reptile
s and amphibian
s. WIRES works closely with veterinarian
s, zoo
s, the NPWS and other animal welfare organisations.
in order to subsidise
the costs of animal feed, veterinary supplies, cages, and other expenses incurred by their members.
The WIRES Administrative Office and the Sydney call centre
, referred to as the Rescue Office, are located in Forestville
, Sydney. There are staff members in the Administrative Office, looking after finance, fundraising,training and membership plus a number of part-time and casual staff members and volunteers. The call centre has a Manager and a number of full-time and casual staff who dispatch public requests for information and help to an appropriate member based on the location and type of the animal reported.
WIRES also has two wildlife ambulances covering the greater Sydney metropolitan region who provide assistance with rescues during the day when volunteer rescuers are at work and less available to attend rescues.
WIRES is an incorporated
association with a WIRES State council(WSC)and board. The WSC WIRES sets the policy and strategic direction of WIRES and is composed of elected members representatives from WIRES branches. The Board of DIrectors of WIRES is elected annually by the council annually from council members and has the responsibility of enacting the directions and policies set by the WSC. WIRES is also a registered charity and a separate group of five Directors oversees public donation
s through the WIRES Public Gift Fund.
WIRES receives only minimal government funding and generates the bulk of its operating costs through donations and fundraising activities.
the largest wildlife rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of removing from the wild and caring for injured, orphaned, or sick wild animals. The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide the food, housing and medical care of these animals, returning them to the wild after treatment.-Process:Rehabilitation begins...
charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a non-profit organisation providing rescue and rehabilitation for all native Australian fauna. All animal rescuers and carers are volunteers. It is funded by public donations and operates throughout the most populous Australian state, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Aims
WIRES mission statement is to actively rehabilitate and preserve Australian wildlife and to inspire others to do the same.The main activities of WIRES is to respond to individual public reports of sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife. If necessary, trained WIRES volunteers will rescue (collect) the animal, foster it (provide treatment and care until it is healthy), and release it back into the wild. WIRES operates under an authority from a government agency, the National Parks and Wildlife Service
National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Office of Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia....
, allowing it to rescue and rehabilitate native animals, a practice which is generally forbidden by law in Australia.
In addition to the rehabilitation of individual animals, WIRES aims to improve native animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
generally through:
- Raising awareness in the community and government of threats to native wildlife
- Educating the public about habitat requirements, and encouraging preservation of the natural environment
- Encouraging and undertaking research relevant to the conservation of wildlife and habitat
History and Background
WIRES was established in 1985, when an injured ibisAustralian White Ibis
The Australian White Ibis , is a wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae. It is widespread across much of Australia...
was found in Hyde Park, Sydney
Hyde Park, Sydney
Hyde Park is a large park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Hyde Park is on the eastern side of the Sydney central business district. It is the southernmost of a chain of parkland that extends north to the shore of Port Jackson . It is approximately rectangular in shape, being squared at the...
. No organisation, government or conservation group could be found to take responsibility for its care. Other animal welfare groups, such as the RSPCA, were not experienced with the needs of native animals, while the only suitable government agency, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, did not have the funding and staff levels needed to cope with injured fauna.
A small group of private citizens formed to take on this responsibility and, by learning from one another, built up the knowledge and experience to meet the unique needs of Australian wildlife. The network grew quickly and in 1986 WIRES was officially launched in Sydney. In 1987 it was incorporated as a non-profit organisation.
As at 2010, WIRES has a network of some 2200 volunteer members in 27 branches across NSW. WIRES received around 100,000 phone calls from the public in 2010, and rescued over 50,000 mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s and amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s. WIRES works closely with veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
s, zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
s, the NPWS and other animal welfare organisations.
Organisational Structure
All animal rescue and rehabilitation is carried out by WIRES' volunteer members in their own homes. Branches perform fundraisingFundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
in order to subsidise
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
the costs of animal feed, veterinary supplies, cages, and other expenses incurred by their members.
The WIRES Administrative Office and the Sydney call centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
, referred to as the Rescue Office, are located in Forestville
Forestville, New South Wales
Forestville is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Forestville is located 15 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Warringah Council...
, Sydney. There are staff members in the Administrative Office, looking after finance, fundraising,training and membership plus a number of part-time and casual staff members and volunteers. The call centre has a Manager and a number of full-time and casual staff who dispatch public requests for information and help to an appropriate member based on the location and type of the animal reported.
WIRES also has two wildlife ambulances covering the greater Sydney metropolitan region who provide assistance with rescues during the day when volunteer rescuers are at work and less available to attend rescues.
WIRES is an incorporated
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
association with a WIRES State council(WSC)and board. The WSC WIRES sets the policy and strategic direction of WIRES and is composed of elected members representatives from WIRES branches. The Board of DIrectors of WIRES is elected annually by the council annually from council members and has the responsibility of enacting the directions and policies set by the WSC. WIRES is also a registered charity and a separate group of five Directors oversees public donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
s through the WIRES Public Gift Fund.
WIRES receives only minimal government funding and generates the bulk of its operating costs through donations and fundraising activities.