﻿It has been all over the news since the start of the new year and there is no arguing that Australia is facing a crisis that is not caused by war, nor plague, nor by some form of economic depression, but one that has been caused by an ongoing series of wildfires that have spread throughout the nation. Hundreds of people now face the possibility of being homeless for more than 32,000 square miles of land having to have been damaged by the fires and more than 120 blazes still being active in southern parts of the country.

However, while the stories of firefighters who died extinguishing the outback and the families they left behind have led to a handful of heartstrings being pulled down on the world, it is nothing compared to the stories that have been covered on the wildlife that has been more affected by the fires than the people have. Currently, it has been estimated that 1 billion mammals, birds, and reptiles have all died in fires that are believed to have been caused by dry conditions and brutally hot temperatures and 34 native animal species and subspecies have all died out in the last 200 years, which makes Australia have one of the highest extinction rates on Earth.

So, why are animal rights activists taking advantage of the fires to begin with?

Well, if we begin to take a look at PETA’s Australia chapter, we can imagine why they are not first in line to help those poor koalas and kangaroos we keep hearing about on the news. For example, PETA’s Australia chapter received over $49 million in contributions in 2019, but only less than 1 percent went into actually helping troubled animals. The rest of the money, in true PETA fashion, was used on advertising, public disturbances, paying off celebrity spokespersons, and lobbying politicians and businesses into getting what they want and they want one thing, and one thing only-total animal “liberations”. This would mean no zoos, no aquariums, no responsible meat, or dairy consumption, no pets, no wildlife conservation efforts that require rehabilitation or breeding programs, and no use of animals for therapeutic purposes. PETA is also against the use of guide dogs for those who are blind. If that is not enough to throw you over the edge about who PETA is, they once compared farm animals to Jewish Holocaust victims in order to convince the public to switch over to a vegan lifestyle. In addition, they also have long ties to eco-terrorists groups such as the Animal Liberation Front, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and the Earth Liberation Front.

If you still think PETA still cares about animals, then you might start developing some second thoughts after hearing what I am about to tell you next. As of 2018, PETA has killed around 39,961 adoptable animals while only 3,459 animals, which is less than 7.31 percent of all animals that were taken in by the Virginia-based extremist group over a period of 20 years. According to government documents, PETA employees often kill the animals within 24 hours after taking them into custody and just to make matters worse, PETA’s very own “animal shelter”, which is located on the fourth floor of it’s headquarters, only consists of three rooms that are nestled among the cubicles and conference rooms that are used to discuss new plans to profit off of animal and wildlife tragedies in the name of “animal rights”. It’s implied that the shelter is also not accessible to the public. If this is the case, then this would mean that PETA does not operate as a facility that would meet the definition of an animal shelter, especially if they have no intention to find permanent homes for animals in need.

If PETA is not saving the animals, then who is?

The answer is simple as the following: the many scientifically accredited zoos and wildlife rehabilitation facilities that are specialized in rescue and rehabilitation of troubled wildlife during large-scale events like the ongoing wildfires. For example, the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital is regarded as the world’s first wildlife rehabilitation facility to be specialized in solely rehabilitation sick, injured, and orphaned koalas with the intention of one day releasing the endangered marsupials back into the wild if they are healthy enough to do so. Currently, they are caring for two koala burn victims named Anwen and Paul and thanks to the dedication of the PMKH staff, these two boys are currently residing in outdoor rehabilitation yards after spending a few days in the Intensive Care Unit. They are expected to make a full recovery to the point where they can hopefully be released back into the wild.

What Can You Do To Help Australia’s Wildlife?

While the cooler temperatures have helped provide some relief with some rain in between, Australia has a pretty long way to go in terms of recovery. So, it will be a very long time before the nation sees a full recovery from this ecological disaster. This is true for the over 300 animal species that call Australia home as scientists now believe that some species may have been wiped out in the wild, or have been victimized by newly altered ecosystems. Yet, there is still hope and there are a few things you can do to help Australia’s animals.

1. Support wildlife rehabilitation facilities that are specialized in rescue, research, and rehabilitation of Australian wildlife. This also includes zoos like Australia Zoo and rehabilitation facilities like WIRES Wildlife Rescue.

2. If you live in Australia and have experience with animals, please consider volunteering at a zoo, aquarium, or wildlife rehabilitation facility that is currently involved in rescuing and rehabilitating native wildlife. Always check with them to see if they are looking for volunteers and when they have training dates.

3. For just $1.00, you can have a tree planted in Australia and Tasmania through the One Tree Planted Foundation. Once planted, these trees will help establish and restore 6 million trees and other native plants and produce 30,000 tons of carbon in the next decade.

4. Adopt a Koala through Port Macquarie Koala Hospital’s Koala adoption program.

5. Educate yourself and others on Australia’s fragile ecosystem.

6. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

With all this being said, my hope for you that if you care about what is going on over in Australia, my advice would be is to say “no” to PETA and other radical animal rights groups who are unlikely going to be using those hard-earned donations to help troubled animals and put all your financial resources into supporting groups that do put time and effort into effective conservation efforts.