How to help Injured Wildlife in Australia
Have you ever wondered where you can take injured or infant wildlife for attention?
I live in dense bushland and the sight of a kangaroo, bird, echidna or wombat run down on the side of
the road is quite common.
Other means in which animals become vulnerable include:
– Predation leaving young birds, possums and other creatures vulnerable to the same fate.
– Bushfires threaten pets and wildlife who struggle to escape
– Illness or disease eg mange affects wombats but can be treated
There are many passionate people across Australia, dedicating their time to rescuing, rehabilitating and
returning wildlife to the areas they came from.
The most accessible place for you to take native animals is your local Veterinary Clinic. Vet clinics will
not charge for medical attention provided to native animals.
Find a registered Vet in your state here: https://avbc.asn.au/search-for-registered-vet/
It is recommended to take an injured animal directly to the Vet Clinic only if you deem it safe enough to
do so. Wildlife Victoria suggests placing a towel or blanket over the animal, pick it up gently and firmly
and placing it into a well-ventilated box for transport.
Should you feel the animal may be dangerous while stressed from its injury, you should contact an
experienced rescuer or wildlife carer to protect yourself and the animal from further injury.
Animals that may be considered dangerous due to their size may include kangaroos, wallabies or
wombats. Some may be due to their natural defences like snakes, fruit bats or birds of prey.
WILDLIFE RESCUERS/CARERS
There are many (usually non for profit) organisations across Australia offering their time and experience
to attend call outs to rescue animals that may be injured or at high risk of injury.
Asking on your local community page or buy swap sell page will often bring attention to the groups in
your direct region.
In Victoria (our home state), we have several including:
– Badger Emergency Wildlife Rescue Gippsland
And many more, contacting Wildlife Victoria is the quickest way to find a carer that is able to help and is located near you, you can contact them for wildlife emergencies by phone 03 8400 7300 or via the website here:
https://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/wildlife-information/report-a-wildlife-emergency
If you are in another State or Territory of Australia these links may help you find help for injured wildlife:
Bunyip Creations is committed to supporting the larger community… the Australian community and the world community. Read more about how we support others here
HOW CAN YOU HELP ?
Warriors 4 Wildlife are our local not for profit wildlife rescuers they will not only assist with rescues of native wildlife, their organisation is also known to:
- Capture animals that have found themselves in high risk locations.
- Seek medical attention for wildlife when required and transport animals to wildlife sanctuaries for rehabilitation.
- Conduct events to raise funds and allow the wider general public to assist in building habitats for wildlife.
- Organise workshops for wildlife related DIY such as their recent Possum box making event at Bunnings Bayswater
Possum box making at Bunnings Bayswater hosted by Warriors 4 Wildlife
Without these amazing people, these animals would likely end up another digit on the statistics.
It is important to note that a member of the public cannot keep native wildlife as pets. They require care
by professionals with the relevant qualifications and licences.
According to https://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/faq-s all native wildlife is protected under the
WILDLIFE ACT 1975.
If you would like to contribute to Warriors 4 Wildlife please check out their Facebook Page or use the code
W4WILDLIFE when purchasing a Bunyip creations book from our shop and we will donate $5 from each book directly to help them prepare for the upcoming fire season.
All photos courtesy of Warriors 4 Wildlife
