5 May 2026 6 people + 38.5 man hours
Six keen volunteers turned up to help modify the Echidna enclosure ND We were met by Danny, the Kanyana CEO, who discussed what was to be done. He then went to get the possum and echidna out of the enclosure so we could start. The possum was easy but the echidna was in a burrow, so it was left there.
We split into two man teams with Kevin and Tom were volunteered to tackle the section at the front which was to have a 2.4m long 6mm thick acrylic panel to replace the wire mesh. Peter and Yasas got straight into cutting the wire mesh and then some square steel tube which they fitted across the back. John started cutting the 3mm Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) which was to replace the wire mesh on the sides and back, then David helped him screw it to the sides of the enclosure.
Wire mesh being removed from the rear of the enclosure
Acrylic being fitted to the front and Green ACP panels being fitted to the sides and back
Everything was going well when the echidna appeared and literally poked his nose into Tom’s work area, bringing work to a halt. Danny was contacted and came to collect the echidna and put in a shed in the enclosure.
The site supervisor checking up on Tom
Everyone was busily working and didn’t stop for morning tea and when we stopped for lunch someone noticed that the Echidna had escaped! It appeared very inquisitive as it was sniffing around at our equipment outside its enclosure. Danny came and collected it and took it away, and we later found out that it’s regularly taken out for walks.
Everyone seemed to finish up about the same time and there was some ACP left over so it was decided to continue on and fit a piece to the internal door in the enclosure and an internal wall to and adjacent enclosure. This was more than was initially planned and a great testament to the people on the project, though it does seem to becoming the norm for what Track Care does.
Completed project with acrylic and ACP fitted around echidna enclosure
You can view a timeline video of the project below