Animals Who Survived Australian Fires Are Starving, So These Planes Dropped Tons Of Vegetables For Them
Australians are finding innovative ways to help the animals affected by the bushfires that continue to ravage the country. The government of New South Wales is using planes to drop thousands of kilograms of carrots and sweet potatoes to feed starving animals.
This stunning and creative idea is nicknamed ‘Operation Rock Wallaby’ and it’s led by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. The main goal of the operation is to feed the state’s marsupials since the bushfires greatly affected them.
So far, aircraft have dropped over 2,200 kilograms of fresh vegetables from the sky. Cloudy with a chance of carrots? Definitely. Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with an Australian from Kangaroo Island about the current situation there.
Australians are dropping thousands of kilograms of fresh veggies from the sky to feed starving animals affected by the bushfires
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Image credits: Matt_KeanMP
Image credits: Matt_KeanMP
According to Matt Kean, the New South Wales Environment Minister, the animals who fled the fires now don’t have anything left to eat which is why they need a helping hand. One species greatly affected are the wallabies.
Wallabies fled the fires and are now starving
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Image credits: Matt_KeanMP
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Bored Panda spoke to local Steve, a cousin to two teenagers who drove around Kangaroo Island in a car saving koalas, about the current situation in Australia. Steve remains cautiously optimistic that the wildlife will recover, in time.
“The koala situation is certainly dire, but I remain cautiously optimistic. The fires destroyed a lot of their habitat, but since their primary food source is one that germinates through fire I think we’ll see nature bounce back rather quickly. That’s my hope anyway. The aim is to keep the existing population fed and cared for in the meantime,” he said about the Australian koala population.
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
According to him, the locals in the midst of the natural disaster are “working tirelessly to help the situation.”
“Some, my mother included, are going and cooking meals for them, others are rescuing wildlife. There have also been a number who have risked the fires to attempt to save their homes with mixed success. My grandparents, for example, were able to save their home. They obviously put themselves in harm’s way by doing so and made the job of the firefighters harder, but it’s hard for some people to just let their whole world burn down.”
“My grandparents bought the home to renovate into their retirement home and have spent years remodeling. They were unable to leave it to chance and while successful their efforts are seen negatively by a number of us,” he added.
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Image credits: AnimalsAustralia
Image credits: JKato3333
Steve explained that he’s sad about the ordeal his country and community are going through. “I grew up on Kangaroo Island and a very large portion is now in ashes. It’s disheartening to see the level of destruction and be powerless to stop it.”
“The entire situation seems to have been preventable to a large degree. Recent changes by the government are perceived by many as being the culprit on what has been the worst fires for a long time. Previously, it was common practice to ‘back burn’ so as to mitigate the risks of fire, but that practice was halted and as such provided the fires with more burning material and made it easier to spread.”
He continued: “Australian trees are prone to fire because they germinate through fire, which is the same issue that California has. If these regulations are not returned to common usage these fires may become a recurring feature of Australian life.”
Internet users were very enthusiastic about the veggie operation
a litlle kangaroo wonders:" do you see that, mom? whats that? raining...carrots? is it christmas time?" :))
I'm not sure if ALL Lives Matter also includes animals. A huge majority of people are not aware of animal suffering, and don't want to be bothered with it. That's the reason why humans are incapable co-exist in peace; there's the indisputable link between animal cruelty and violence against fellow human beings.
Load More Replies...♥️♥️♥️ For Australia 🇦🇺 from United States of America 🇺🇸 ♥️♥️♥️
Load More Replies...The people risking their lives in Australia are super heroes!!
This is really great, but I can't help wondering if you drop a million vitamin missiles out of a plane - there's a good chance they've hit a least one animal. Survived the fire from hell and then get taken out by a falling spud :(
that's what I was wondering - but they drop them from a helicopter, so I think they are not flying that high and the noise is alerting the animals
Load More Replies...Your comment reminds me of the WKRP in Cincinnati turkey drop.
Load More Replies...So many people are finding inventive ways to help these animals. I am so proud right now! Thank you everyone, but we can't stop now. We have to keep on going until they are all safe!
I am so happy to see this, thank you. hopefully no animals were injured by the raining veg. There is some misinformation in this story. The government hasn’t stopped the back burning like some of the media has said. The former Australian fire chief and other current senior firefighters have said back burning was drastically reduced because of dangerous weather conditions. This is straight from their mouths, the people who are in charge of doing the controlled burns. I don’t trust our government so if it was them saying that I probably wouldn’t believe them but it has been said by people in the actual Fire service and in senior roles like the NSW RFS commissioner. So fact is our climate stopped the back burning as it just hasn’t been safe to do so. Just have a look at this chart straight from the bureau of meteorology, 120 years of Australian rainfall. We have been in one of the worst droughts on record.
At least you have some leadership that has common sense, and sets the record straight. You could be stuck with a “head of state” who makes idiotic statements like your Forest Service should’ve raked out the forests better to prevent the fires spreading—-amongst the thousands of other verbal turds squeezed out of the sphincter in his face.
Load More Replies...Amazing humans helping amazing treasured animals of Australia. It’s not like the animals have many options to flee to! Kudos to all that have helped. I’ve donated a few hundred dollars for the cause... hope more people help out. ♥️♥️♥️ You all (human & animal) Australia!!!
Bless the firefighters, that must have been a nightmare for them, I am unable to imagine, my sincere thanks, and also bless all who have done so much to help, I wonder if a scientist, could create a substance that would be more effective than what exists now, with Australia, and California in dire situations,as well as other areas !!!
Hazard Reduction Burns mentioned are way more complicated and hardly a single correct answer to bushfires: https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-10/hazard-reduction-burns-bushfire-prevention-explainer/11853366?pfmredir=sm
There are those that just want to watch our World burn. This was a man made disaster and we better fix it. So appreciative of those working tirelessly for the animals <3
Thank you so much, this is really heartwarming !
It is great that food is being delivered. But wouldn't a fallen carrot or potato be considered dangerous if it will fell on the head of an animal?
Doubt it, plane engine or helicopter sound would scare them away anyway. They'll go back after some time to find food.
Load More Replies...Why are you quoting "Steve" as if he's an expert on the reason for the wildfires? He's a local resident. It's my understanding from the experts interviewed in many news stories that the reason prescribed burning has been less than usual is the number of safe days for burning have decreased. That's because the number of hot, dry days when you can't burn has greatly increased. It appears that climate change is responsible for the increase in hotter, drier weather. tthis
Carrots and sweet potatoes are fine for most creatures but Koalas need a specialty diet. Hopefully there will be a "Leaf Drop" for those still out there.
TOMORROWS BREAKING NEWS: Rock wallaby population decimated by falling carrots.
I hope they aren't getting whopped in the head from raining carrots :/
Actually I was worried about how many animals were killed by the falling carrots and potatoes. Fallen from height, and so heavy
Not enough helicopters to make that much of an impact... REALLY!!! 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Load More Replies...and yet they kill camels; not to forget their plans to kill feral cats! (for people who are disliking my comment: I'm just stating the truth, you should be disliking the decision of killing camels and cats. Google it.)
In support of I Am Lulu Prime: "As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will NEVER know HEALTH or PEACE. For as long as men massacre animals, they WILL kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain CANNOT reap joy and love." - Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician (? - 497 BC/BCE) Now, perhaps, you, down voters, will understand why we have the health crisis, opioid crisis, environmental destruction, and far from a peaceful world...but I doubt it; how many more millennia would you need to get it? We do not have a millennium, we do not have a century, perhaps not even a decade!!!! "In nature, nothing exists alone." - Rachel Carson, 1962 We are the part of nature!!! Humanity cannot, will not survive on its own.
Load More Replies...a litlle kangaroo wonders:" do you see that, mom? whats that? raining...carrots? is it christmas time?" :))
I'm not sure if ALL Lives Matter also includes animals. A huge majority of people are not aware of animal suffering, and don't want to be bothered with it. That's the reason why humans are incapable co-exist in peace; there's the indisputable link between animal cruelty and violence against fellow human beings.
Load More Replies...♥️♥️♥️ For Australia 🇦🇺 from United States of America 🇺🇸 ♥️♥️♥️
Load More Replies...The people risking their lives in Australia are super heroes!!
This is really great, but I can't help wondering if you drop a million vitamin missiles out of a plane - there's a good chance they've hit a least one animal. Survived the fire from hell and then get taken out by a falling spud :(
that's what I was wondering - but they drop them from a helicopter, so I think they are not flying that high and the noise is alerting the animals
Load More Replies...Your comment reminds me of the WKRP in Cincinnati turkey drop.
Load More Replies...So many people are finding inventive ways to help these animals. I am so proud right now! Thank you everyone, but we can't stop now. We have to keep on going until they are all safe!
I am so happy to see this, thank you. hopefully no animals were injured by the raining veg. There is some misinformation in this story. The government hasn’t stopped the back burning like some of the media has said. The former Australian fire chief and other current senior firefighters have said back burning was drastically reduced because of dangerous weather conditions. This is straight from their mouths, the people who are in charge of doing the controlled burns. I don’t trust our government so if it was them saying that I probably wouldn’t believe them but it has been said by people in the actual Fire service and in senior roles like the NSW RFS commissioner. So fact is our climate stopped the back burning as it just hasn’t been safe to do so. Just have a look at this chart straight from the bureau of meteorology, 120 years of Australian rainfall. We have been in one of the worst droughts on record.
At least you have some leadership that has common sense, and sets the record straight. You could be stuck with a “head of state” who makes idiotic statements like your Forest Service should’ve raked out the forests better to prevent the fires spreading—-amongst the thousands of other verbal turds squeezed out of the sphincter in his face.
Load More Replies...Amazing humans helping amazing treasured animals of Australia. It’s not like the animals have many options to flee to! Kudos to all that have helped. I’ve donated a few hundred dollars for the cause... hope more people help out. ♥️♥️♥️ You all (human & animal) Australia!!!
Bless the firefighters, that must have been a nightmare for them, I am unable to imagine, my sincere thanks, and also bless all who have done so much to help, I wonder if a scientist, could create a substance that would be more effective than what exists now, with Australia, and California in dire situations,as well as other areas !!!
Hazard Reduction Burns mentioned are way more complicated and hardly a single correct answer to bushfires: https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-10/hazard-reduction-burns-bushfire-prevention-explainer/11853366?pfmredir=sm
There are those that just want to watch our World burn. This was a man made disaster and we better fix it. So appreciative of those working tirelessly for the animals <3
Thank you so much, this is really heartwarming !
It is great that food is being delivered. But wouldn't a fallen carrot or potato be considered dangerous if it will fell on the head of an animal?
Doubt it, plane engine or helicopter sound would scare them away anyway. They'll go back after some time to find food.
Load More Replies...Why are you quoting "Steve" as if he's an expert on the reason for the wildfires? He's a local resident. It's my understanding from the experts interviewed in many news stories that the reason prescribed burning has been less than usual is the number of safe days for burning have decreased. That's because the number of hot, dry days when you can't burn has greatly increased. It appears that climate change is responsible for the increase in hotter, drier weather. tthis
Carrots and sweet potatoes are fine for most creatures but Koalas need a specialty diet. Hopefully there will be a "Leaf Drop" for those still out there.
TOMORROWS BREAKING NEWS: Rock wallaby population decimated by falling carrots.
I hope they aren't getting whopped in the head from raining carrots :/
Actually I was worried about how many animals were killed by the falling carrots and potatoes. Fallen from height, and so heavy
Not enough helicopters to make that much of an impact... REALLY!!! 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Load More Replies...and yet they kill camels; not to forget their plans to kill feral cats! (for people who are disliking my comment: I'm just stating the truth, you should be disliking the decision of killing camels and cats. Google it.)
In support of I Am Lulu Prime: "As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will NEVER know HEALTH or PEACE. For as long as men massacre animals, they WILL kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain CANNOT reap joy and love." - Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician (? - 497 BC/BCE) Now, perhaps, you, down voters, will understand why we have the health crisis, opioid crisis, environmental destruction, and far from a peaceful world...but I doubt it; how many more millennia would you need to get it? We do not have a millennium, we do not have a century, perhaps not even a decade!!!! "In nature, nothing exists alone." - Rachel Carson, 1962 We are the part of nature!!! Humanity cannot, will not survive on its own.
Load More Replies...
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