Our crew from Holden Hill recently showed how multi-skilled they are when they assisted 1300Koalaz to rescue an injured koala that was accidentally hit by a car. 

Jake, Robin and Michael, from our Holden Hill depot, attended a call-out to rescue an injured koala recently at Upper Hermitage. They were able to deftly operate the elevated work platform (EWP), navigating through dense branches. They reached the injured koala and were able to rescue it from a very tricky position. The CFS and MFS attended earlier, but realised they would need assistance from SA Power Networks, due to the proximity of the koala to nearby overhead powerlines. 

After the koala was rescued, 1300Koalaz took him into their care to assess his injuries. They named the koala ‘Alfie’. Over the next five weeks, Alfie was given vet treatment and the carers administered laser treatment to repair his broken leg. Cheryl Zampin, co-founder of the not-for-profit organisation said, “we are fortunate to have a vet laser which speeds up the healing process by 50% and allows koalas to get back into the wild faster. Alfie has been receiving laser treatment twice daily since he was captured. His break has now completely fused back together and he is now climbing like a champion!”

Alfie spent five weeks in the care of 1300Koalaz, under the watchful eye of his volunteer carer Bec. Alfie was released into the wild near the place where he was injured.

Our crew members were presented with a certificate of appreciation for their efforts and for going above and beyond their regular duties. Robin said, “I have never had to rescue a koala before. It was different to any usual day, but you expect different things to pop up and we just deal them”. Robin also added, “we are proud to have played our part in the rescue, it was nice to see that he recovered and was released.”

Video

Watch Alfie's story on the video below.

What is SA Power Networks doing to mitigate harm to wildlife?

We do our best to stop animals getting injured by our infrastructure. Animals use our powerlines, substations and Stobie poles to nest, roost or access food sources.

We have a range of measures in place to mitigate the risk of harm to wildlife. Read more about the range of measures we have in place to deal with wildlife and powerlines as well as our other initiatives on Our Commitment to the Environment page.

Have you seen a sick or injured koala?

1300Koalaz is a volunteer registered, not-for-profit organisation that rescue, rehabilitate and release injured koalas. If you find a sick, injured or orphaned Koala please call 1300KOALAZ (1300 562 529).