Australian Aircraft Dropping Food For Starving Animals

The New South Wales Government is utilizing helicopters and airplanes to assist starving animals affected by the Australian wildfires. Naming the process “Operation Rock Wallaby”, the hope is to help feed the colonies of brush-tailed rock wallabies and marsupials that were able to flee the fire but face destroyed vegetation. With populations of species and natural habitats nearing extinction as a result of the horrific fires, any and all efforts to save survivors is crucial.

The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service initiated Operation Rock Wallaby by dropping food in several national parks. An estimated 4,850 lbs of fresh vegetables, including carrots and sweet potatoes, have been dropped so far. New South Wales Environment Minister Matt Kean stated, “the provision of supplementary food is one of the key strategies we are deploying to promote the survival and recovery of endangered species like the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby”.

The World Wildlife Fund estimates approximately 1.25 billion animals have died from the fires. This initiative, among many others, is part of a worldwide effort to assist in the aftermath of the catastrophic events in Australia. Another animal protection organization, Animals Australia, has been using donations from the public to lease small planes to transport food supplies to less accessible regions.

With so many animals already devastatingly affected by the fires in Australia, the risk of losing more due to lack of resources is very high. People from around the world are combining their efforts to help in Australia’s recovery process.