About Us

Australia's wildlife has experienced enormous habitat loss and destruction over the past 30 years making way for development to house our growing community.  The Wildlife Volunteers Association Inc. (WILVOS) has provided rescue and rehabilitation to native fauna of the Sunshine Coast since 1995. Since its inception the organisation has operated and remained solvent due to the tireless efforts of its volunteer membership and committees.

WILVOS has approximately 250 members. 100 members are active carers who pick up injured or distressed wildlife and rehabilitate these animals back into their natural habitat.  The remaining members are "Friends of WILVOS" do not actively care for wildlife but assist in many other ways.  All members pay an annual subscription fee.

The WILVOS provide a wildlife rescue phone service to the general public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The area that is covered is from Gympie to Caboolture on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and extends out to the Hinterland area.  Volunteers donate their time to man the rescue phone on a roster basis.  These volunteers relay calls from the general public to active carers in the callers immediate area, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The active carer will then determine the best and most practical method to get that animal into care.  The WILVOS have an extensive network of carers who are experienced in managing and caring for all species.  Animals coming into care are referred to the carer most able to provide the care that animal needs. During the 2005/2006 year WILVOS received over 6000 calls from the general public to assist injured or distressed native wildlife.  Costs for the rehabilitation of these animals is met by individual carers. 

The WILVOS have carers experienced in the care and rehabilitation of Macropods, Possums, Gliders, Reptiles and Birds including fruit pigeons and waterbirds. Bats are referred to Bat Rescue Inc.  All calls referring to Koalas, Echidnas, Platypus, Cassowaries, Emus and Raptors are also directed to Queensland Parks and Wildlife or persons permitted to specialise in those species.

Mission

"Our mission is to improve outcomes for native animals."

The WILVOS will provide rescue, rehabilitation and release services to injured or distressed native animals on the Sunshine Coast (ranging from Gympie to Caboolture).  The WILVOS values its volunteers and will ensure that active members have access to the appropriate training and facilities that they need to optimally rehabilitate the wildlife in their care.  The WILVOS follows the code of practice for volunteer organisations.

History

1986 - 1987

QPWS started the process of creating WILVOS. They created the group, gave it the name,
outlined the rules and responsibilities as well as defined its purpose. Excerpt from the
correspondence provided by QPWS, …”service staff have tried over the years to look after all
the sick, injured and orphan fauna but found they were fighting a losing battle as numbers
were increasing. Of course encroachment into habitat, increased vehicle usage on wider and
wider roads and use of insecticides has contributed to the increase…..”
 

1993 - 1995

Meeting called by QPWS to start the process of incorporation for WILVOS. The paperwork at this point called the group Wildlife Volunteers Association Inc. for the incorporation process. This was all done by QPWS.  QPWS previously used to house and pay for the wildlife rescue phone line. QPWS manned the phone during office hours and WILVOS volunteers manned it after hours. All accounts were paid for by EPA.

1995 - 2002

WILVOS became an incorporated association and worked very closely with EPA who still had the wildlife rescue phone, WILVOS assisted by manning this phone service after hours.  QPWS circulated all of the active member lists to vets, other members and interested organisations. They paid for the postage of the newsletter and the QPWS copier was used
for all association copying. 

During this period QPWS “got sick” of the phone as some WILVOS calls came through (WILVOS do not have an office and is run by a management team and sometimes calls came through that needed to be redirected) and the phone was transferred over to WILVOS.  QPWS provided service funding to pay for the phone accounts. All service money to run the association was either provided in kind or directly by QPWS via a grant to WILVOS.

2002 - Current

New management team, strategic focus. Large increase on demand on the association required a business approach to survive and meet this demand.  Wildlife on the Sunshine Coast under extreme pressure. Developed a business plan with a five year window of what WILVOS had to do to achieve its purpose of being – to improve outcomes for native animals.

An internal audit was undertaken to determine what it actually cost to run the association bare bones. This then formed the basis of the services grant submission to EPA.  A release program was formulated based on the best scientific research available in the country. This formed the basis for a facilities grant application to implement this project.  An education program was developed covering all species. The cost to subsidise this program formed the basis of another grant application.

To meet the objectives of the association, a management team is elected at the Annual General Meeting held in August each year. These positions manage finance, membership, wildlife rescue phone, release, grant applications, fund raising, assets, community awareness, media, newsletter editor, animal coordinators, fauna and telephone returns entry and minute secretary.