As Bev Langley enters a fenced field at her Adelaide Hills animal rescue, an emu approaches her and receives a hug.
It’s one of the many animals at Minton Farm Native Animal Rescue Centre that have been hand raised at the site that homes injured or lost wildlife.
Six hectares are portioned to different zones that home animals in aviaries and enclosures purchased with donations from fundraising efforts over the years.
A hospital with an intensive care unit for critically endangered animals also sits as part of the property, fitted with specially warmed cages and incubators for very sick animals.
"We’re fortunate to have the little intensive care unit, so when they’re critically ill we can get them into incubators, get them stable and through their course of antibiotics or pain relief," Ms Langley said.
After they’ve recovered from injury, birds are taken to small flight cages, before moving on to a large 20-foot circular flight aviary to gain strength before their release.
The centre has rehabilitation cages for reptiles, koalas, kangaroos.
"We have a record book in the hospital, and we document everything we get in our hand, so that doesn’t include website and Facebook advice we give … there’s 14,200 we’ve actually had in our hand,” she said.
Those that can’t be released back into the wild are kept at Minton Farm, so long as they are deemed healthy.
"Sometimes a bird will come in and they’ve got so much damage they’ve got no quality of life. People often say ‘can’t the duck just have one leg?'," she said.
"Any animal dragging around in their own droppings, that is not a quality of life and you have to put the animal first."
How it all began
Ms Langley started on her own health journey after suffering from a bacterial infection more than 30 years ago.
In 1992, she was diagnosed with brain stem encephalitis after water became stuck in her ear from jumping into a spa.
The bacteria from the water travelled through her brain stem, causing serious injury for over three years, including partial vision and hearing loss.
"As a therapy I had to learn to walk and recognise human beings and all that sort of stuff. It was pretty severe," she said.
During her rehabilitation she joined a native animal welfare group.
"I saw this woman with a possum on her head at a display and I thought, 'isn’t she wonderful and fancy helping the wildlife like that'."
Ms Langley learnt basic animal care from that group, and later joined the Bird Care Society where she learned how to mend broken wings and feed baby birds.
The rest of her animal care has been learnt through years of experience, and the farm has grown through word of mouth.
"It grew from there, the community sort of embraced it and everyone would say, ‘there’s a girl at Cherry Gardens will help you with that'."
"Sometimes you think, how did I know to do that … and its experience for the things that work in the past and the things that don’t work, you never really forget. It’s a hard lesson."
Emmi Lou the emu
Emmi Lou was hatched at Minton Farm, but a neighbour took her on as an adoption.
Unfortunately, a horse tried to decapitate her, so she ended up back in the care of Ms Langley.
At about 8 years old, Emmi Lou loves to give long hugs, wrapping her long neck around Ms Langley longingly and going weak at the knees when she approaches.
Michael the Corella
Last Spring, Michael’s tree home fell down in a storm.
Several corella babies in the tree were adopted out, but Michael remained homeless.
"Originally, we wanted to put up a nest box and get them back with their families but the property owners were not keen to have more corellas on their property, so we couldn’t actually reunite him with his family," Ms Langley said.
He happily lives in a large standing cage, and is affectionate with Ms Langley, nibbling on her hand and climbing her arm.
Miss Pinky the Major Mitchell
More than 20 years ago, Miss Pinky was found at Wingfield dump covered in oil.
Part of her beak was broken meaning she is unable to be released in the wild, but she lives happily alone in a big cage at Minton Farm.
She is not as affectionate as other rescue animals, and would happily bite those who come too close.
Mr Potts the Potoroo
Mr Potts the Potoroo became homeless after the couple that kept him divorced.
He lives in a large enclosure at Minton Farm, and at 14 years of age, Ms Langley says it’s surprising he is still alive.
But love is in the air for the small marsupial after a potoroo raised at Cleland Wildlife Park moved in. She has been labelled Mr Potts’ girlfriend and has given him a streak of youth, Ms Langley said.
Cats a major problem
Until recently, cats were to blame for about 30 per cent of the injuries in animals at Minton Farm.
"In the past three years there’s been a gradual improvement in that because councils are bringing in by-laws to keep cats in at the night which helps a little bit," she said.
"Other councils are getting them de-sexed in free programs and that helps a little bit."
Ms Langley says its important to have a passion for animals to do what she does.
One of the centre's volunteers, Jonette, said it was amazing to watch Ms Langley at work.
"You see an animal come in and they're really stressed because they're unwell, but she’s just so calm and gentle and it’s just beautiful," she said.
