Skill, compassion and commitment sees Great Southern wildlife carer Claire Pragnell awarded RSPCA WA medal

Karlup Animal Sanctuary owner Claire Pragnell has received a bronze medal from RSPCA WA for her dedication to animal welfare through volunteer work. Ms Pragnell was nominated by Amaris Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary owner Maggie van Santen who saw the care-giver’s commitment to the rehabilitation of a tiny joey named Bandit. “He broke his tail, and for a boy that’s not a good thing,” Ms van Santen said. “We finally got him right and the very next day he broke it again. “Boys do that, they get excited and they bash into things.” Soon after breaking his tail a second time, a serious bone infection was discovered at the site of Bandit’s injury. “Some dressing changes would take up to three or four hours,” Ms van Santen said. The needs of the sick and injured joey were great. “When they get to a certain age, all they want to do is get on their feet and start running,” Ms van Santen said. “We couldn’t let him do that, we had to keep him pouched for weeks and he couldn’t be left alone even for five minutes.” At her Karlup sanctuary 20km west of Mount Barker, Ms Pragnell is kept busy caring for injured, abused and discarded animals. “She runs a big sanctuary but she always made time to take care of Bandit when it was needed,” Ms van Santen said. “If it hadn’t been for her, I’d have had to have him put to sleep.” Bandit’s life depended on the care Ms Pragnell dispensed and the skill it was delivered with. “Because of the work Claire did, Bandit is now free and trying to be wild,” Ms van Santen said. “She’s a local hero. “It doesn’t matter how long they are in our care, they take a part of our heart when we don’t manage to save one.” Ms Pragnell said it was important for people who came across injured animals to reach out to licensed wildlife carers straight away. “If it’s injured, don’t keep it for a day, don’t keep it for a week,” she said. “Get in touch with a wildlife carer, a shelter or a vet.” Significant damage can result from inappropriate care and Ms Pragnell is rehabilitating a kangaroo that was hand-raised but released into a national park. “It became apparent when I got him back here that he’s never seen a kangaroo in his life,” she said. “He’s now learning to be a kangaroo but for him to have been dumped like that, it should never ever happen.” Karlup and Amaris are licensed wildlife carers and donations to support their work can be made via Paypal @karlupsanctuarywa and @AmarisWildlife.