Wildlife rescue volunteers are calling for more mental health support services, with WildTalk founder and psychotherapist Frances Carleton warning that burnout is rife within the industry.
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Ms Carleton, who formed the national counselling service after identifying a lack of support in the industry, said that wildlife rescue and rehabilitation was traumatising for many volunteers.
"You turn up to a road traffic accident and you look at the casualty. And there's nothing you can do but euthanise them. That's what wildlife volunteers are dealing with everyday," she said.
"On average 60 per cent of animals that come into rehabilitation don't make it out. And 80 per cent of animals don't make it in the first place," she said.
But Ms Carleton said that trying to provide support on a national level was financially difficult to maintain without further funding, and despite applying for 16 grants had been turned down for everyone.
"In the last financial year, I've put in over 700 hours of therapeutic intervention free of charge. I also contributed my early super withdrawals into it," she said.
While the not-for-profit does receive financial support from a handful of partners, Ms Carleton predicts the need for counselling services among wildlife volunteers will continue to rise, and with it the need for greater funding.
"In Tasmania [in the last financial year] we received 47 calls, which was up from 12 the six-months prior. And this year it will go up again".
Legana-based wildlife sanctuary owners Jessica and Duncan O'Connor said they were unable to access dedicated support services in Northern-Tasmania.
"We just don't stop, we're working full time. The wear and tear over time of being a wildlife carer, it's no good for your mental health. We feel like we have no ongoing support, and you feel like the government doesn't even have your back." Ms O'Connor said.
"Once you're at the point where you're going to call a service like WildTalk, you're already broken and exhausted. There needs to be some early intervention."
Trevallyn-based wildlife rehabilitator Juleen Angove said speaking to WildTalk stopped her from walking away from her work.
"Burnout in wildlife care is massive. And we have people who are so burnt out they're now providing disgraceful care to animals," she said.
Ms Angove said that she wanted to see more wildlife services in the state provide training around mental health awareness and support similar to other volunteer first-response services.
"We are first responders to animals, so we see trauma as much as the first responders that see trauma with humans," she said.
In a statement on Thursday the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said they were working to develop a community-led Wildlife Rehabilitation Strategy over the next two years.
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