What to do if you find injured native wildlife

If you find a sick or injured wild animal, contact your nearest veterinarian or wildlife carer organisation so that it may receive appropriate treatment. Wild animals become stressed by handling, so you should seek expert advice before handling an injured animal. 

• Call your nearest veterinarian or wildlife carer organisation to seek advice on what to do. 
• Remove threats to the animal by keeping children, other people and pets away from them.
• If you have spoken with a rescue group or veterinarian for advice, and it is safe to do so, while wearing gloves, you can gently wrap the animal loosely in a towel. Place them in a ventilated box with a lid and place the box in a dark, quiet, and cool place before going to your nearest veterinarian or while waiting for a wildlife rescue carer to arrive.
• Extra precautions include wearing a mask and long-sleeved shirt to prevent injuries, for instance in the case of possums.
• Wild animals become very stressed easily, so keep handling to a minimum, and place the box away from noise, people and other animals.
• Do not handle bats and do not approach snakes, monitor lizards, large macropods or birds of prey. Call a wildlife rescue organisation or your local veterinarian.
• Take note of where you found the animal, as they may need to be released back at the same location.
• Do not feed or treat the animal, unless instructed to by the veterinarian or wildlife rescue group.

Wildlife Vic                                  1300 094535        

WIRES – Wildlife Rescue Line   1300 094737