Wildlife in care at Koonoomoos Koonawonga Dutch Thunder Wildlife Shelter will have access to improved facilities after the organisation received a grant to carry out upgrades at the shelter. Koonawonga Wildlife Rescues Kylee Donkers, who runs Dutch Thunder Wildlife Care and Rescue with her husband James Leonard, said the grants would allow the shelter to purchase much-needed equipment, including florescent vests. Ms Donkers said a portion of the grant would be used to build and upgrade outdoors enclosures to assist animals in their rehabilitation process. It will also allow them to start work on a large outdoor enclosure with the aim of recuperating large birds, such as a wedge tail eagle currently in the shelters care. One animal in particular who will benefit is Hannah, a Bells phase lace monitor currently in care, who will be able to transition to an outdoor cage as part of her recovery process and begin reacquainting her with outdoor spaces. Ms Donkers said the shelter was also currently investigating installing a misting system along the property fenceline to provide a cooler, wetter area for tree-based animals at the property like koalas during the warmer summer months. Labor Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes congratulated 23 local wildlife rehabilitators in country Victoria who have received grants totalling $32 542 to support their valuable work. I congratulate Northern Victorias wildlife rehabilitators who have been awarded these grants for the invaluable work they do in our communities, she said. These grants support country Victorias accredited wildlife carers who put in their own time and money to rescue and rehabilitate sick or injured wildlife and release them back into the wild. We rely on volunteers to look after injured wildlife and release them back into the wild, these grants help to cover the costs of this important work. The grants are part of the Victorian Governments $241 000 Wildlife Rehabilitator Grants Program, supporting authorised shelter operators and foster carers who volunteer their time to rehabilitate thousands of sick, injured and orphaned animals for release. The grants are used to cover the cost of purchasing protective clothing and equipment to assist with wildlife rescue after bushfires, as well as training and education. The grants can also be used for maintaining or upgrading facilities such as cages. Caption Text: New facilities: A Victorian government grant will enable local shelter operators to build and upgrade enclosures, including for Hannah, a Bells phase lace monitor in care.