Into the fire

Last fall, the world mourned as Australia suffered the worst bushfire outbreak it’s seen in decades. In what seemed like an instant, the country that’s known for its breathtaking foliage and extraordinary wildlife was left devastated with nearly half a billion animals affected and more than 7.3 million hectares of land destroyed.

As blazes continued to ignite across the country, especially in the hardest hit area of New South Wales (NSW), and reports of destruction surfaced, supporters from around the world came together to assist those affected by the fires. Ontario veterinarians, Dr. Scott Bainbridge and Dr. Jason Steinman, were among those who answered the country’s call for help. 

Both veterinarians were already in Australia—Dr. Steinman was on vacation and Dr. Bainbridge was in  Sydney to run his Future Vet Kids Camp program. They were invited by Australian sisters Drs. Audrey and Alison Shen, who operate a mobile veterinary service, to join a group of volunteers who were travelling to the small village of Wandandian in NSW to help care for injured wildlife. 

“When I found out…there was no question in my mind that I was going, too,” says Dr. Bainbridge. 

Travel to Wandandian was previously restricted due to the severity of the fires, so when the group finally received the greenlight, they packed up the Shen sisters’ mobile unit and headed out on their journey. 

The three-hour drive from Sydney to Wandandian was emotional for everyone. “The amount of devastation that was there took your breath away,” says Dr. Steinman. “You could really see that not much had survived.”

For Dr. Bainbridge, the scene reminded him of something from a movie. “There was no colour; it was just blackened tree trunks and scorched ground,” he says. “It looked like a bomb had gone off.”

The state of the village wasn’t the only unknown. Although the were supplied with preparation materials by the NSW government, neither veterinarian knew exactly what to expect of the animals they were going to be working with. 

Reality sunk in when the group arrived at the make-shift clinic that was set up in a shed on a local farm. 

“It was kind of mayhem when we showed up,” says Dr. Bainbridge. “There were a whole bunch of joeys, they all looked the same, and there wasn’t an effective identification system in place.”

Equipped with microchips, the two veterinarians began microchipping the joeys to eliminate confusion and ensure each animal received the appropriate treatment.  

In addition to establishing a more efficient organizational system, Drs. Bainbridge and Steinman assisted the rest of the team with assessing wounds, administering medication and bandaging animals. In total, the team cared for nine young kangaroos and wallabies, ranging between eight to 15 kilograms. 

“It was upsetting to think that these animals had been like this for so long,” says Dr. Bainbridge. “They were so young; they were orphaned and they were in pain. It was a tough thing to see.”

Most of the joeys were suffering from burns on their feet, a result of walking over the hot, charred ground. To promote healing, bandage changes took place every 48 hours, which involved sedating, assessing, debriding, irrigating and applying a topical antibiotic. 

A joey named Flame suffered severe burns on all of her limbs and needed to be anesthetized so the team could clean up her extensive wounds. “She was a really special case because she was so much worse off than the others,” says Dr. Bainbridge. 

One of the larger joeys, named Barbie, was found paralyzed after being entangled in a fence for days. In hopes of helping her move again, osteopath Rhys Donovan and chiropractor Matt Breeds used the ASA Class 4 Laser to treat her injured back and hips.

“We saw improvement within the first 24 hours of treatment,” says Dr. Steinman. “It was really impressive to see the effectiveness of the laser.”

Barbie was compliant with every treatment she underwent, which was unexpected for the Canadian veterinarians, who were prepared to deal with discontented kangaroos. 

“We really didn’t think Barbie was going to make it,” says Dr. Bainbridge. “But with a combination of laser and stretching exercises, she really came around. The last we heard she was standing on her own.”

Although the experience was emotionally draining, the group was able to find solace in the little things.  

“One of the best experiences I had was when we were all sitting around feeding a joey,” says Dr. Bainbridge. “It had been a rough day, but when I looked at everyone staring into their joey’s eyes, it was a very peaceful moment for me.”

The group also bonded very quickly—they shared an Airbnb, ate meals together and played Uno. “It was like we’d been friends for years,” says Dr. Bainbridge.

One day, after returning to the clinic from a short lunch break, the team was astonished to see a mob of adult kangaroos standing in the field. 

“Normally kangaroos try to stay away from humans, but when we got out of our cars, they approached us,” says Dr. Bainbridge. “We just knew they were desperate and starving.”

Despite the fact that many of fires are now under control, Drs. Bainbridge and Steinman warn that it’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

“Once the fires go out, the real problems will begin,” says Dr. Bainbridge. “These animals are so territorial and they’re going to come back to an area that has absolutely no food for them. So many animals have already been killed by the fire; imagine how many more will perish over the next couple of months because of starvation.”

To help, they’re encouraging others to give back by either volunteering their time or by donating to the New South Wales Wildlife Council. 

“The council represents 25 small wildlife groups that are currently on the frontline,” says Dr. Bainbridge. “They make sure that the groups receive the funding needed to continue their relief work.”

For veterinarians that are interested in volunteering their time, he recommends reaching out to Vets Beyond Borders. 

“They recently started a program called ALERT,” says Dr. Bainbridge. “Those who register for ALERT are added to list of veterinarians from across the globe who are willing to help out. The list is then distributed to wildlife organizations.”

For both veterinarians, the experience is one they’ll never forget.

“To be able to help out, even in the smallest of ways, was a pretty cool experience,” says Dr. Steinman.

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