Animal Rescue Hero!

Seven-year-old wildlife advocate Theo Imhoff is making a difference through his work with Fauna Rescue Whitsundays, a non-profit voluntary group that rehabilitates sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife.
Registered carer for Fauna Rescue Whitsundays, Erica Imhoff, and her son Theo, who recently returned to the region, wanted to contribute to the well-being of local wildlife.
Since joining Fauna Rescue Whitsundays, Theo has helped care for native animals such as possums, Melomys, bandicoots to name a few, and helps with feeding and holding the animals for warmth.
“If we're not holding the animals, we have to prepare a heat pad for them or a hot water bottle, but Theo would just prefer to hold them and keep them on him while he's on the sofa, or even while doing homework,” Erica explained.
Erica mentioned how Theo has also been into school to show the rescued animals to his year 2 classmates:
“Theo enjoys sharing how we can help our native animals and how important they are to the ecosystem.”
Theo recently received a Certificate of Recognition for being a ‘Wildlife Warrior’ from his school and both Fauna Rescue Whitsundays and his parents are extremely proud of his involvement.
“He's such a caring, sensitive soul, and, yeah, we're so proud of that,” Erica added.
Theo feels upset whenever he hears negativity about native animals, particularly when people refer to possums as pests and struggles to understand why others don't share his love for these animals.
“He cares so deeply for the animals and understands their place in in our community, and that they were here long before us,” Erica stated.
Great job, Theo! We can't wait to see you following in David Attenborough's footsteps!

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