LOCAL PROFILE: JASON CICHOCKI
All Creatures Great and Small By Penny Edmanson
A fledgling magpie lies in an Anglesea driveway with an apparent broken leg. A distressed young kangaroo, separated from its mother, is hopping the streets of Torquay. A homeowner, alerted by his dog’s barking, finds a baby tawny frogmouth no more than a ball of fluff and not yet able to fly. A Lorne resident is concerned about a koala that has been down on the ground for a couple of days unable to return to the treetops for essential nutrients.
available to help wildlife whenever required. Often having to drop everything to respond to a call, Jason fortunately is his own boss. He relies on his loyal employees to keep his business, South West Automotive Services, running when he has to head out to help an animal in distress.
What is the common denominator in the sparing of these creatures from an untimely death?
Although Jason is the main man for receiving calls, it is not unusual to receive upward of 10 to 15 requests for rescues in a day, and this is only achievable with the help of his dedicated team.
Jason Cichocki – our very own ‘Wildlife Warrior’. Jason has always loved animals, having a strong connection with them from childhood. Growing up in Central Victoria, he and his twin brother would sit in the bush watching all the creatures that would gradually emerge from their surroundings. As part of a family that loved and looked after animals, he grew up on a horse-rescue property and even at a young age would save money from his paper round to buy the horses that were destined for the knackery. However, it was a particular incident 10 years ago that drew his attention to the urgent need for help locally. As fate would have it that day, Jason witnessed
Jason Chichocki, wildlife rescuer
David Burrell from Leopold Wildlife Services tending a large kangaroo that had been hit by a car and broken its leg. When David needed assistance, Jason stepped up. David was so impressed with Jason’s natural ability that he was keen to take him under his wing and teach him all he knew of wildlife rescue. This was a pivotal moment in Jason’s life. Rather than being one of the many saying ‘someone needs to do something’, Jason decided to lead by example and dedicate the rest of his time on the planet to helping as many animals as possible. For many years, Jason was a sole operator, but about three years ago he and his partner Remedios started a group simply known as Surf Coast Wildlife Rescue. The group has grown to be an effective wildlife rescue operation with more than 70 individuals dedicating their time to helping the wildlife of this region.
Native wildlife are supported by Jason. 16
Most of the volunteers have busy lives with jobs and families to attend to, however they are united in their willingness to make themselves
Based in Torquay, Surf Coast Wildlife Rescue services an area that stretches around the coast from Apollo Bay to Geelong, and inland to places such as Lara, Meredith, Bannockburn, Dean’s Marsh and Forrest. Due to the diversity of animals around us, wildlife rescue in this region sees Jason and his team rescuing animals of all shapes and sizes: from little fairywrens and honey-eaters to wedgetails and seabirds, from bats, echidnas and possums, to koalas, wallabies and kangaroos. Jason believes that our planet belongs to all creatures great and small, and sees our role is to co-exist rather than dominate. It disturbs him to see the increasing dislocation that is a result of urban development. Sadly, by far the greatest number of call-outs is for kangaroos hit by cars and sadly they often cannot be saved. Jason is heartened by the fact that the majority of people care about animals. “Vigilance by the community is the crucial first step in the chain,” he says. “The rescue process starts when a person sees an animal, realises it needs help and takes the action to call us. “Without people doing that, we couldn’t do what we do”. His goal is for every resident to have his number in their phone.
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