We are grateful to WIRES for providing two grants to LAOKO recently. Rescue training for members The first grant offered 35 LAOKO members to undertake WIRES’ Introduction to Wildlife Rescue course online, made available through the WIRES National Training Grants program. The program provides the opportunity for licensed wildlife rescue and care groups around Australia to access […]

Hello wine lovers… supporting wildlife in the Snowies is as easy as ordering your next case of wine this Christmas! To purchase and help us support our injured and orphaned wildlife, please visit our Goodwill Wine page. Proud supporters of LAOKO, Goodwill Wine sources small batch boutique wines from all around Australia. Thanks to the help […]

Snowy Mountains Wildlife Rescue (LAOKO) is going full steam ahead treating local populations of wombats with mange, made possible through generous funding by the Humane Society International Australia (HSI). Mange is a terrible condition caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei – or mange mite – which was introduced into Australia with the First Fleet. The mange […]

As the weather warms up, snake season is upon us again. We talk all about snakes with LAOKO’s Snake & Reptile Coordinator, Angela Barns (Jones). Angela, what are the most common snakes in our region? Eastern brown snakes are by far the most common here in the Snowy Monaro region. There are red-bellied black snakes too, […]

You might have heard ‘baby bird’ season – well, we’re right in the middle of it! Baby bird types currently brought into LAOKO’s care include magpies, currawongs, crimson rosellas, galahs, sulphur-crested cockatoos, corellas, gang gang cockatoos, kookaburras, Australian Ravens, wood ducks, pacific black ducks, honey eaters, welcome swallows, cuckoo shrikes, red-rumped parrots, tawny frogmouths, barn owls, boobook owls […]

This Lesser Long-eared bat (Nyctophilus geoffroyi) was found under some cushions in a couch in a shed in June this year, when the landholder was vacuuming what was thought to be mouse droppings. Bat droppings look very similar to mouse droppings. Most insectivorous bats that live in cold climates go into torpor over winter, because […]

Hi Angela! You love reptiles a lot! Why? When I was little, my parents got me a turtle. It was called Myrtle… Myrtle the turtle. That’s how it started! How did you begin in wildlife care? Years later my son found a turtle in our backyard in Cooma, and I helped him take care of it. My son […]

LAOKO’s volunteer management committee for 2022/23 has now been finalised! Our new committee is: EXECUTIVE President: Lisa Petroff Vice President: Allyson Jennings Secretary: Michael Milne Treasurer: Robyn George HSEQ (Health Safety Environment Quality): Guy Palframan COORDINATORS Emergency Phone Coordinators: Jamie Astridge & Robyn George (shared coordinator role) Overall Species Coordinator: Kelly McMahon Wombat Coordinator: Rebecca Cowan […]

You may have noticed a turtle crossing the road lately, and that’s because we’re right in the middle of breeding season! The Eastern long-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis), or Snake-necked turtle, breeds during October and November (although breeding could occur a bit later this year based on the weather). If you see a turtle on the move, it’s most likely […]

This juvenile Nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides) was recently rescued by a family on Carlaminda Road, outside Cooma. The family explained that kestrels arrive to make a nest on the roof of their home every year. The Nankeen kestrel is a small species of raptor – specifically, a falcon – which occurs across Australia, mainly in grassland areas and farmland rather […]