Humane Society International funds LAOKO program

We are very grateful to Humane Society International for providing $10,000 for our wombat mange program, and $40,000 for a wombat enclosure on a LAOKO member’s property.

We are so appreciative of this funding which allows us to continue to do important work with wildlife.

The funding for the mange program will be used to buy Cydectin® used to treat mange – a cattle pour-on which costs $1,100 including GST for 15 Litres – about $73 a Litre. This funding will enable LAOKO to undertake a broader-scale treatment of mange ‘hot spots’ where a number of wombats with mange have been reported.

This local population approach uses a lot of Cydectin® as burrow flaps need to be topped up every couple of days for about three months.

Our burrow flap program is currently being carried out in several locations including Adaminaby, Anglers Reach, Cooma, Numeralla, Moonbah and Dalgety.

Work has started on the wombat enclosure, with the removal of some of the dead standing trees.

LAOKO has 25 wombats in care at the moment. The HSI grant to build a wombat pre-release enclosure will build our capacity to release wombats, avoiding the problem of overpopulating an area with hand-raised wombats.

The LAOKO member’s property was sadly impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires. However, work is underway on the enclosures and hand-raised wombats can start to repopulate the area devastated by the fires.

Thanks to HSI for making this possible. Stay tuned for updates and photos.

Monday September 20, 2021

Photo at the top: LAOKO vice president and mange treatment program coordinator, Elena Guarracino met with the Humane Society International (HSI) recently to discuss the LAOKO mange program and possible funding options through HSI. Pictured are Helen Church (HSI, Project Officer Wildlife Land Trust), Elena Guarracino and Evan Quartermain (HSI, Head of Programs) at LAOKO members Peter and Mimi Day’s property near Cathcart.