How communities came together for wildlife after ex-tropical cyclone Narelle

Working alongside local partners, we helped strengthen outdoor enclosures, secure equipment, and expand rehabilitation capacity so carers could safely take in more animals once the storm hit. By the height of the response, one IFAW-supported partner alone was caring for more than 100 orphaned joeys, alongside other native wildlife.

The experience highlighted an increasingly familiar reality in disaster response: emergencies rarely happen in isolation. Pressure builds over time, often long before public attention turns to the crisis.

Further west in the Northern Territory, the impacts unfolded more quietly, but the consequences for wildlife were devastating.

As Narelle moved through the Pine Creek and Katherine regions, flying fox colonies already weakened by seasonal food shortages came under enormous environmental stress. Thousands of bats died, while orphaned pups began appearing in backyards, playgrounds, and streets across affected communities.

Local carers worked around the clock as dehydrated, hypothermic, and exhausted animals arrived in growing numbers. Ahead of the cyclone's arrival, IFAW had worked with response partners to position teams safely near anticipated impact areas so they could begin assessments and rescues as soon as conditions allowed.

Even with that preparation, the scale of the event quickly overwhelmed local capacity.

To help support the response, specialist flying fox rehabilitators and educators travelled from Queensland to assist local carers. Alongside providing hands-on care, they shared skills and training designed to strengthen long-term local response capacity, helping ensure communities are better prepared for future emergencies.