Several calls reporting that a Brush Turkey had been shot with an arrow at Sippy Downs.
We responded to each sighting with food and a net launcher, but was unable to get close enough as many people had been trying to catch her.
We tracked her movements and set two traps: a larger dog trap, that we were glad she didn't trigger as this could have further injured her; and a drop net, suspended with a line tied about 30 metres away, where we also set up a hide so that the line could be cut manually from a distance at the precise time the Turkey was under it.
Thanks especially to Ian Paine, who was also passionate about saving the turkey and lived across the road from where we set the hide. Thanks Ian for being able to respond to each sighting as she came up on the cameras, and for waiting at the hide where you could judge the exact moment when to cut the line.
Then I got the call... "Got her"
Ian covered her with a blanket and weighed down the drop net until we arrived.
It was important to us, (as this was a cruelty issue, and as many Wildlife/Animal Rescue Organizations were involved), to not touch the arrow.
We transported the Turkey to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital along with the arrow, cut free and bagged without it being handled in hope that finger prints could be lifted and a case be followed through, to prevent it happening again.
Sadly the arrow went through the Turkeys Cloaca and she could not possibly survive, so she was peacefully put to sleep. This poor girl was saved from any further pain and suffering.
I find it hard to comprehend why any human feels the need to inhumanly harm an innocent animal in it's own home, that lives life 100% sustainably, whilst contributes to the maintenance, and fertilization of the bush lands.
Will
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