Wildlife Wednesdays: It's Raining Carrots in Australia!

The australian wildfires have been devastating to people, property, and especially wildlife. Heavy rains last week finally brought some good news and relief from the wildfires. A couple weeks ago, a program was launched called Operation Rock Wallaby in New South Wales by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This program is helping feed animals that lost their habitats to the fires. 

Officials airdropped more than 4,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and carrots to feed starving colonies of animals, which includes the rock wallaby, an endangered specie. They typically can survive wildfires, but struggle to find food and water afterwards. With the ongoing drought, these wallabies are even more stressed. Photos have emerged on the internet of the little wallabies eating carrots, and it is truly heartwarming to see. According to the New South Wales Minister for Energy and Environment, Matt Kean, he mentions that "the food drops are expected to continue until enough food and water become available again." He also mentions that this effort was the most widespread food drop ever conducted for the endangered wallabies. 

An estimated 1 billion animals have been lost in the fires, and even some species of plants, insects, birds, and animals may have been wiped out before they were even discovered. Aid workers have described the burned landscape "apocalyptic," with animal carcases littered all over the burned landscape. This crisis has pushed the Prime Minister to shift slightly on his government's approach to climate policy.