A volunteer vet examines the lorikeet for injury after being in the wildfire region. The young lorikeet is visibly traumatized by the wildfires.
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TRANSCRIPT
- The Sydney Wildlife Rescue Mobile Care Unit is really getting a workout this weekend, which is its first weekend of operation.
And everybody inside there is a volunteer including the vets and the carers.
And right now they're looking at a little baby lorikeet that made it through the fires.
- I'm assuming that he's been in a hollow.
Mum and dad haven't come back and he's at some point decided to abandon the nest.
But very, I don't know if you can say a bird's traumatized but I haven't seen a bird come in like this before.
Just really very, like this, and then sometimes you'll let him go and he'll just go on his back and his claws will go tight and he's really quite traumatized.
And what I wanted to ask is, because he's vocalizing is that a good sign?
- Does his voice sound normal?
- Normal.
- It does?
- It does, yeah, I think so.
- That's good.
When you got him did he actually smell of smoke?
- I think he was at the vets for a day or so before I got him.
They're just so overwhelmed.
The wildlife's coming in and just being put in boxes on the ground.
I don't know how much is, its just crazy, they're all so overwhelmed at the moment.
So many unknowns with the smoke, how much internal damage has been done.
Its good just to get an opinion from a vet.
- He actually sounds pretty good.
I just don't want to expose his eyes too much in case its freaking him out.
I definitely would try and buddy him up as soon as you can find one of similar age.
- I'll put the call out.
We'll get him a friend.
- Yeah.
He's nice and strong.
- Yeah, he's a gorgeous little thing.
Definitely came out of a nest though.
He's wanting to diving.
- Poor little guy, he's so cute.
Its amazing that he's not more injured.
- No, I know, and to be on the ground for that long.
I mean he's very, very lucky.
When you drive through there and see the devastation he's been a really lucky boy.
Haven't you?
- The vet said that his lungs are clear and it doesn't look like there's any damage in his throat and so he's right to go on and be buddied up with another lorikeet and hopefully released in a few months time.
- He's decided my neck's the best.