Pool Danger and Our Wildlife

The little marsupial got separated from its family and found himself in a backyard swimming pool with no way to escape. Luckily, he was found and fished out to undergo recovery at the RSPCA wildlife hospital.  

At only 95g and very cold, this little baby bandicoot had to spend hours into an intensive care unit with an oxygen mask to ensure its survival. He is now spending his time with a specialised bandicoot carer where he will be able to hang out with other bandicoots and living a full, healthy life!

Another bandicoot was found exhausted in a swimming pool. It was shivering and taken to the wildlife hospital for rest and recuperation before being successfully released nearby.

These bandicoots were lucky – but many animals aren’t. There are a few things that we can do to help reduce the risk.

As a pool owner, here are some easy steps to help avoid this from happening:

• Check your pool regularly to see if any animals have gotten in. Check the skimmer box regularly for frogs and lizards.
• Provide a way for a stranded animals to escape the pool. Often pool steps are not enough (especially for a tiny baby bandicoot!). To help animals escape the pool install a ramp where the pool exit is not graduated, hang a rope from a nearby structure and into the pool, and place a plank across one corner, particularly if you are in a koala area. You could also use a body board tied to the edge which acts as a shelf for the animal.
• Consider covering the pool at night – a lot of animals are nocturnal and this will help stop them from falling in!

If you see an injured, trapped or sick animal, call our 24/7 Animal Emergency Hotline, 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625)