2020
Australia; Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia; South Australia, Australia
Survivors. A mob of kangaroos that managed to survive the fires gather for a feed at Stokes Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, in March 2020. Stanton’s been taking in orphaned wildlife since he was a boy. In his distinctive high-pitched yell, he calls out into the wind, cutting open donated bags of fruit, vegetables and kangaroo pellets. Almost immediately kangaroos and wallabies tentatively emerge from every direction and before long a mob has gathered. There must be at least 100 kangaroos. It’s a blessing to see them in such numbers, given the devastation of their population.
Paul Stanton surveys his home in March 2020 as his new reality still is difficult to accept, months after the fires destroyed his home. “I started building it 46 years ago; it was nearly finished. I had even kept some of the walls from the original cottage I grew up in. This house had so much love in it,” Paul says sadly. Gone are the countless hand-me-downs and family mementos. Gone too are the animals from the sanctuary. “That’s the hardest thing,” he says quietly. “That’s why Katja has trouble coming back – she can picture exactly where all the animals were in the house. Kanagroo Island, South Australia March 2020.
Susan Pulis, a wildlife carer and the founder of the Raymond Island Koala and Wildlife shelter, which recently moved to Waterholes and Wendy Hendrickson feed five of Susan’s kangaroos, in Wendy’s spare bedroom transformed into a temporary shelter for the 5 kangaroos on Raymond Island, Victoria, Australia on Monday, the 6th of January 2020
Simon Kelly at one of the several pits he has had to dig to bury all of his sheep. Of 9000 he has had to bury more than 5000 of his sheep. This pit has two of his cows and a couple dozen sheep in it. This group of sheep have mostly died more recently since the fires due to lung damage from smoke inhalation, on Thursday the 16th of January 2020, on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia
Jason Wheaton (light blue shirt) and his sons Jack (high visibility jacket - 14yo) and Tom (blue jumper 15yo) Wheaton came to Simon’s property to help him clear the burnt land of deceased animals and fallen trees as well as any other things he might need help with since the fires. (This speaks to the community support that has gathered around the people who have lost so much.)
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