Wildlife concerns

away.”

Motorists may not know when they hit an animal whether it has been killed or wounded. The message Olivia would like to get across is that people should call Wildlife Rescue Organisation (WIRES) so that a representative can check over the creature, and if necessary, put it out of its misery.

Characters At Kiama Library

are active,” she says. The locals know where the ‘hotspots’ are and have said that they are willing to work with Council to ensure that the animals are kept safe.

The Jamberoo Mountain Road has been closed for a year due to extensive storm damage, and over that time the local wildlife has had free reign. Kangaroos, wallabies and wombats are prolific in the area, and it’s not uncommon to see lyrebirds, echidnas and even koalas.

Local resident Olivia Mitchell has told the Bugle of her concern that there will be many wild animals run over due to the traffic returning to the road. “Even before the road closure my husband and I would often discover wounded animals lying on the road, some were still alive and others not, so we would remove them,” she said. “It is important for people to be aware that the most likely times for animals to be out is dawn and dusk.” She also warns that headlights will stun an animal and it will freeze, as it is blinded by lights. The best advice is to “slow down and honk the horn to scare the animal

Locals feel very strongly about this matter and one local resident Gill O’Toole has made signs to alert people to watch out and what to do if they do hit an animal.

Rebecca Daley, who works for WIRES, said that the area is teaming with kangaroos, wallabies and wombats, some of whom have ‘moved in’ since there has been no traffic for such a long time. “They can’t be relocated, so we need to get the word out for motorists to be aware and watch out at the peak times when the animals

Kiama Council has issued a statement this morning about the 40km/h zone and advising “Motorists should also be vigilant for local wildlife that will be unaccustomed to vehicles given the 12-month road closure.”

Council is working with local conservation groups on restoration works, and these works will take some weeks. This will include re-establishing relevant signage.

Council is also repeating these key messages through their social media etc.

Wildlife Rescue Line: 13 000 WIRES or 1300 094 737

by Donna Portland

Local Kiama resident Jenny England has created the most adorable storybook characters currently on display at the Kiama Library. She enjoys sharing her creativity with others.

It all started as a project initiated by Jenny’s friend Marianne Alcock, in Queensland, who Jenny says “comes up with crazy ideas every year to test our creativity and keep us busy in retirement!”

A group of ladies, some from Queensland and Victoria, knit the characters and display them in libraries for others to enjoy. They also show them through Facebook pages – ‘Just Cosies’ - as some are tea cosies - and Jenny’s personal FB page is ‘Loopi Handknits’.

Jenny’s characters are definitely not tea cosies, as you will see. “They are all original, no patterns, just my imagination and skill with needles and yarn,” she says. Jenny said that her granddaughter Elly is also an inspiration, and many have been created for her, such as Eleven and the Demogorgon from Stranger Things which are not in the library display.

“Many of the characters bring back memories from my childhood, such as Pippi Longstocking, Alice and gang and Dorothy (from The Wizard of Oz) and some from my time raising my children, such as Matilda and Thing 1 (from Dr Seuss),” Jenny says. Get in quick to see the display at the library, as they’ll only be there for the next two weeks.

by Donna Portland photos Steven White