Wildlife Victoria prepares for wildlife impacts from bushfires and extreme weather in Victoria's west

Wildlife Victoria’s 24/7 Emergency Response Service is prepared for a rise in call volume and has increased staffing capacity to manage the influx. Our team is monitoring emergency alerts and maintaining communication with Wildlife Victoria volunteers in fire-affected areas. The Wildlife Victoria Travelling Veterinary Service anticipates an increase in wildlife case volume and is ready to respond.

During state emergencies the focus from government fire agencies is on human life, homes and critical infrastructure and it’s only after areas are declared safe that Wildlife Victoria can enter and respond to impacted wildlife.

Wildlife Victoria will continue to respond to reports of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife but if reports of burnt or injured wildlife are within active fire zones in which volunteers cannot enter, these cases will be immediately referred to the relevant government agency.

Following high temperatures across all areas of the state, many wildlife will be recovering from heat stress symptoms and be seeking out water and native food sources. Wildlife Victoria encourages those Victorians not in fire-affected regions to help wildlife by placing bowls of water outside and creating areas of artificial shade for wildlife to escape the heat. More information about heat stress symptoms in wildlife and what you can do at home is available on Wildlife Victoria’s website.

Members of the public can report any incident of wildlife needing help to Wildlife Victoria’s 24/7 Emergency Response Service on 03 8400 7300.

For additional information or interview requests, contact Wildlife Victoria's media team on 0447 193 121 or email the media team.