animal rescue

After drought took their water and bushfire took their food, the New South Wales Minister for Energy and Environment announced the "Operation Rock Wallaby"- airdropping food and water to some key colonies across the continent. Bless you, all!   

Aussie artist named Sharnia-Mae Sturm shared a touching illustration on New Year's Eve as news of Australia's bushfire crisis broke around the world. She came up with the idea while thinking about all the animals that have passed away and suddenly realized they'd all be safe in the loving arms of Steve Irwin. After all, Steve and his family were always ones to stand by the animals and are continuing his legacy by saving over 90,000 animals so far. People were moved by the cartoon with many saying it brought them to tears. 

 A water tanker driver in the fires zone in Australia got an unexpected cab mate who he called: "Ray of sunshine after nightmare"

Story via: Sydney Morning Herald

The Las Vegas animal rescue group Lofty Hopes raised concerns over a viral video showing at least two pigeons wearing tiny, almost custom-made cowboy hats in a parking lot. It's unclear who was behind the stunt, but activists were concerned that the hats may have been glued on, harming the birds.

This town in Wisconsin is doing everything to help its turtle population! 

We don't often think about the dangers that turtles have to go through on a day-to-day basis but if they live near the highway, those dangers are very real. Perhaps that is why the Wisconsin Department of Transportation got together with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and came up with this innovative idea. Story via: Wisconsin Public Radio

This is the heartwarming moment a disabled Malaysian man climbed out of his wheelchair to rescue a kitten stranded in a filthy storm drain and turned into our hero. Story via: Paws Planet

Twitter is in tears after a video of a woman rescuing a badly burnt and wailing koala from a bushfire went viral. The koala was spotted crossing a road amongst the flames when a local woman, who told Nine News her name was Toni, rushed to the koala's aid, wrapping the animal in her shirt and pouring water over it. Toni then transported the injured koala to the nearby Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, a facility that is treating up to 15 affected koalas.   

Recently, a cat named Mikey got stuck in a 90-foot tall palm tree in the city of Pico Rivera in Los Angeles County. In total, he spent close to two weeks in the palm tree, which was in spite of various efforts to convince him to climb down on his own. "Just goes to show you, what goes up doesn't have to come down," Mikey's owner, Dolores Lopez, said. At least not right away.

Story Via: The Mercury News

Some happier news to emerge from the blazes in California revolves around an injured great horned owl discovered by CAL FIRE in the ashes of the Maria Fire. Firefighters used a coat and took Ram to a wildlife rehabilitation group, where the bird will recover from its injuries.

A malnourished dog was pulled from rubble in the Bahamas weeks after Hurricane Dorian devastated the island, and his rescuers gave him a fitting name: Miracle. Big Dog Ranch Rescue used infrared drone technology and special recovery teams to locate and rescue dogs, including Miracle, well after Hurricane Dorian ravaged the island. Miracle is now safe and recovering in Florida. Video via @CBSNews

A motorcyclist showed his softer side when he pulled over on the side of the road and ran to rescue a kitten with the help of another good Samaritan. In footage shared with social media, the motorcycle driver can be heard yelling "No" before he is joined by another man, who also spotted the kitten and pulled over. This is probably the best thing you'll see this week. 

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Some even come covered in tattoos riding motorcycles. Imagine that: a roaming group of bikers who are not looking for trouble but rather for defenseless animals in need of their protection. Meet the gang of bikers with a heart of gold that likes to call themselves Rescue Ink.

In 2015, Brolga, an Australian man who was living out in the bush with his family of kangaroos, decided to build a 188-acre sanctuary for kangaroos in Central Australia. His vision was to rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned baby kangaroos back into the wild and to serve as a refuge for all kangaroos that have been raised by wildlife carers and cannot be released back into the wild due to injury and to provide them with good quality of life. 

Brolga was approached by the BBC UK in 2011 and was asked if he would be interested in making a documentary about his work with kangaroos. Brolga thought this would be a great way to raise more awareness about the plight of kangaroos orphaned by highway accidents and about kindness towards animals around the world. The BBC went on to make the documentary Kangaroo Dundee which was a huge success.  Kangaroo Dundee has just completed its third series which aired in 2016.  

On its Instagram page, the sanctuary shares some cute photos and videos of baby kangaroos. 

Ken the Cat is a brand by Steven Smith, a British graphic designer, who was inspired by his feline companion. With the motto "like most cats, he's a bit of an arseh*le," his illustrations make a very strong case for animal safety and rescue. Steven's drawings of Ken the Cat are quite humorous and unapologetic. The graphics are present on greeting cards, tote bags, phone cases, and mugs. With each purchase, consumers will make an impact on animal rescue centers as proceeds go toward supporting cats in need. For more, visit his Instagram page.  

With over 90% of Kaziranga National Park, home to the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, flooded, authorities have been battling to move the animals to higher ground. Monsoon rains and floods have affected millions of people across the north-eastern Indian state of Assam. Watch this epic rescue operation.