Vivid images of the catastrophic bushfire that swept through Kangaroo Island 2019/20 have stunned the world. It's raging flames destroying everything in their path. Mankind rallied to the call to help those affected and also to save the iconic Koala.

But the silent victims of the 2019/20 Kangaroo Island bushfires are native animals not featured in media releases. Wallabies, Kangaroos, Possums plus multitudes more are equally in need.

Wildlife carers rescue, treat and care for as many victims as they are able to after disasters, but we need to aim to not ever let these tragic events happen again in the first place. Our precious Australian native animals all need to live in peace, and when a natural disaster strikes they need a SAFE HAVEN IN THE STORM. You can help provide that.

Our farm and wildlife sanctuary, Shalom Valley Farm Wildlife Sanctuary is a long established working farm in the heart of the magnificent Cygnet Valley on Kangaroo Island. It is home to a diverse range of wildlife.  Yes we have Koalas, but the list goes on:- Kangaroos, Wallabies, Bushtail and Ringtail Possums, the endangered Pygmy Possum and Bandicoots, Echidnas and Goannas. Plus a huge range of birds and smaller ground animals. 

When the bushfire swept through the Cygnet Valley on the night of 9th January 2020, it devastated our property. It has left no shelter and little food for wildlife.  Wallabies are hiding in burnt out sheds, under farm equipment or crowded together in isolated clumps of unburnt bush. They are shy creatures. Now they have nowhere to hide and their distress is plain to see.

Here at Shalom Valley Farm Wildlife Sanctuary our first priority is to provide food, water and shelter on an ongoing basis, not just for a couple of weeks while the fires remain “newsworthy.” This is a long term need.

Secondly, we need to rebuild 20 years of work. To re-establish and expand the destroyed  "soft release" enclosures so some of the many animals currently being cared for throughout the Island have another place where they can be monitored and gradually rehabilitated back into the wild. There is only a window of a few weeks to have this in place.

Following that is to turn Shalom Valley into a showcase of what can be done to give our wildlife friends a genuine safe refuge in the storm. Sure, this fire event was huge in it's scale. But bushfires are a regular part of the Australian bush, and we need to be always prepared, for the sake of the wildlife. 

Bob and  Lorraine have raised many orphaned animals over the years.  Those orphans became part of our family; they were safe here - so we thought. ... How horribly wrong we were!  We should have insisted that adjoining plantations be maintained, that bushland that had not seen a fire in over 40 years,including our own native bush, have periodic cold burns to reduce the fuel load. There were not enough pasture firebreaks, or breaks in the creek scrub-lines, to prevent the fire spreading. The list goes on.

It is our intent to establish areas where wildlife can retreat to in a fire event: areas protected by a combination of plants and trees that are actually fire retardant; irrigated wildlife pasture; maintained scrub areas, and by doing periodic winter cold-burns which will rejuvenate fresh plant growth for wildlife; fire proof shelters where there is additional safety. And much more.

We need to ensure that should a fire come along our river, Koalas are not roasted alive by 100 metre high flames, nor the oxygen sucked out of Goanna burrows, suffocating the animals sheltering there. We must moderate the risk as best we can. 

It is unrealistic to expect all areas to do likewise, and "purists" are probably having a fit about now as they read of our plans. Go tell that the countless millions of animals that perished in this fire, the tens of thousands still out there right now suffering or dying from their burns but unable to be reached by us to help.  The bush will regrow, but they are gone forever.

We never ever want to drive through the front gate again to face what we did on the morning of 10th January 2020. No one ever should.

Please help us to establish a true Sanctuary, for all our wildlife; to create a showcase of what can be achieved; a test bed of ideas and practical solutions; a place where a new beginning for our Australian wildlife, and plants, can arise from the embers of the bushfire.

Some may wonder about the header photo for this gofundme; where is it, what is it and why.

On the morning after the fire swept through, Bob gradually worked his way back to the Sanctuary. Here is his account of what he found.

“All around me was death and destruction. I helped fight pockets of bushfire with other farmers, many of whom who had lost everything too. Roads were blocked with fallen trees or walls of flame. I called in on neighbours checking if  they and their houses were safe. Then I reached the Sanctuary gate. Driving down our track through a black, charred landscape, once grand tall gum trees, hundreds of years old, now were smouldering ruins on the ground - or simply gone, vapourized in the holocaust. I passed the burning ruins of farm equipment, vehicles, sheds and fences, - they could be replaced - the charred bodies that had once been our wildlife friends could not”

“Getting out of the car amid the desolation of what had once been an orchard and our garden, I wondered, how could I ever bring Lorraine down to see this? My heart and mind were crushed and the word “despair” even seemed such an empty, inadequate one. Then I glanced up at the slope just above me, at the very epicenter of where the fire had roared out of the pine forest a few hours before. Grazing on a small patch of unburnt pasture, were a pair of kangaroos. There they were, fire singed, frightened and dazed, but busy getting on with what they needed to do - they had survived and were already moving on with life.”

“It was then that the tears began to flow. Not tears of despair, nor of joy, but tears of hope which are so much stronger. In that moment I knew we too would move on. The image of that day is etched forever in my heart, those two roos showed us what needed to be done, no time for pity parties, hand wringing or excuses - JUST DO IT!”

With your help, that is just what we are going to do, but do it better. Please give generously and help make it happen. We have the place, the vision, the drive and determination but need your financial support to achieve our goals.

With your financial support, in a few weeks we hope to be announcing volunteer camps on the property. Then you can come and physically help us make it happen. Come see the effects of wildfire firsthand, and  watch in awe as the land heals. Share your thoughts and ideas and get your hands dirty. See the full beauty that is Kangaroo Island, both burnt and unburnt. You won't ever regret it.

Want to know more about us, the animals and projects?

Visit https://www.shalomvalley.com