Emergency Care

I found a native creature. Can I keep it?

How can I help our wildlife?

How do I become a wildlife rescuer and/or carer with W.R.E.S.?

What do I do about the echidna that’s in my backyard?

What do I do about the tortoise that’s in my backyard?

There’s a tortoise in the middle of the road. What do I do?

There’s an echidna in the middle of the road. What do I do?

I found a baby bird on the ground, what do I do with it?

I found an adult bird that is alive but not flying away. What do I do?

I hit / spotted a kangaroo (koala, wombat or possum) on the road, and it looks like it has young in its pouch. What do I do?

I found an orphan duckling. What do I do?

Q: I found a native creature. Can I keep it?

A: No. Unless you are an authorised wildlife carer or wildlife shelter operator, it is illegal to keep native wildlife.

Q: How can I help our wildlife?

A: There are many ways. Here are a few.
Store both the WRES 24 hour wildlife emergency number and the number for your local wildlife rescue organisation in your mobile phone. You never know when you will need to call someone who cares.

Keep domestic pets under control when wildlife is around.

Be on the lookout for injured, orphaned or displaced creatures when you are motoring, riding or walking.

Keep a pillow slip in your car boot or backpack as a temporary ‘creature carrier’.

A sheet, blanket or towel is ideal fro having in the car boot.

Check for pouched young in animals killed on our roads (koalas, wombats, possums, sugar gliders, kangaroos). Left in the pouch, they die slowly and painfully from cold and starvation.

Do not approach an injured kangaroo – it will be stressed and terrified and will try to protect itself with its powerful legs.

Leave fresh water in your yard for birds and other wildlife.

Develop a habitat garden to encourage native wildlife to visit, or stay.

Tell others how they can help.

Become a member of WRES or your local wildlife rescue organisation.

Donate to your local wildlife organisation or shelter. Most wildlife organisations and shelters get no government funding and depend on donations, fundraising, and their own wallets, to do their essential work.

Q: How do I become a wildlife rescuer and/or carer with W.R.E.S.?

A: Become a member of W.R.E.S. and express your interest. You will be given the opportunity to attend training sessions and be mentored by a qualified wildlife carer.

After 12 months of wildlife rescue work, becoming a wildlife carer is then an option, if that is your aim.

Q: What do I do about the echidna that’s in my backyard?

A: Echidnas are not uncommon in urban areas. If you have a dog, remove it from the area (put it inside the house), for the safety of the echidna and the dog. Do not attempt to shoo the echidna back to where you think it came from – it is on a mission and will only turn around again! Leave the echidna in peace for an hour or two. It will pass through your yard and go on its way. It is most likely looking for food and may very well have young back at its burrow to feed.

Q: What do I do about the tortoise that’s in my backyard?

A: The same as for echidnas (see above).

Q: There’s a tortoise in the middle of the road. What do I do?

A: First – don’t get run over! Take notice of which direction the tortoise is facing. They are very single-minded creatures. However well-meaning, if you inadvertently take the tortoise back to where it’s come from, it will only turn around and proceed to cross the road, putting itself at risk again. If the tortoise is in danger of being hit by traffic, you can pick it up carefully by the shell (yes, we know they smell!) and move it off the road – in the direction it was heading. It will go on its way when it once more feels safe to do so.

Q: There’s an echidna in the middle of the road. What do I do?

A: The same as for tortoises, except for the picking up! Unless, of course, you just happen to have a pair of welder’s gloves in your car or backpack. When feeling threatened, echidnas will either try to dig themselves in, or roll up into a ball. If at all possible, and safe for you to do so, direct any traffic around the creature, disturbing it as little as possible. Given the chance, it will continue on its way and soon be off the road.

Q: I found a baby bird on the ground, what do I do with it?

A: It has most likely fallen from or been blown out of its nest.

Can you see, find and safely reach the nest?
If so, it is fine to gently pick up the bird and place it back in the nest. It is a fallacy that the parent birds will abandon the baby because of your scent – birds have a poor sense of smell.
Can’t find or safely reach the nest?

Keep dogs, cats and people away.
Wait and watch.
Be patient. It takes a lot of food, in small serves, to feed a baby bird. The parents might be gone a while.
If, after two hours the parents don’t return, you can try putting the bird up into a tree in a makeshift nest – a small basket lined with leaves is a good substitute. Parent birds usually find their baby, if they are not threatened by human presence.

This isn’t an option and you’re worried for the bird’s safety.

Get a cardboard box or container (a shoe box or clean ice cream tub will do) making sure it has air-holes. Put some newspaper or an old rag in the bottom.
Take the box to the baby bird and carefully pick up the bird and place it in the box.
Keep the baby bird WARM, DARK and QUIET.
Ring your local wildlife rescue organisation. If you don’t have the number handy, try looking in the White Pages under Wildlife Rescue.
If you can’t find a number for your area, call the WRES 24 hour emergency number (0427 301 401) and you will be given advice and assistance.
Do not attempt to feed the bird. The wrong food can kill it, as can stress.

Q: I found a bird that is alive but not flying away. What do I do?

A: The bird could be injured or ill and needs attention.

Some of our native birds ‘play dead’ if they are unwell, injured or in shock.
If the bird is a raptor, such as a wedge-tailed eagle, hawk or falcon, be careful! Their talons and beaks are powerful and can do a lot of damage. Even a badly injured raptor will try to protect itself. If the raptor is in no danger of further injury, it is best to contact WRES or your local wildlife emergency organisation for assistance and advice.
If you must do something to help the raptor, do it carefully, with your own safety in mind.
For all birds: If you have a travel rug, blanket, towel, sheet or jacket, this can be tossed over the bird to cover its body and head. Birds usually settle when they cannot see.
Once the bird is covered, approach from the back of the bird, away from talons, claws and beak.
Keeping the fabric between your hands and the bird, carefully sweep the fabric and the bird’s wings in towards the bird’s body. Grip the bird with both hands, firmly but not roughly.
Encased in the fabric, the bird will usually be very still, even so, remain cautious.
Keeping clear of beak, claws and talons, wrap the rest of the fabric firmly around the bird.
A firmly wrapped and ‘blindfolded’ bird will generally stay that way until you can get assistance.
Keep warm, dark and quiet to avoid further stress to the bird.
Contact WRES or your local wildlife rescue organisation. They will advise and assist.

Q: I hit / spotted a kangaroo (koala, wombat or possum) on the road, and it looks like it has young in its pouch. What do I do?

A: Firstly, stay safe! Do not get hit by traffic.

Approach with caution, in case the animal is not dead – kangaroos have powerful legs, and ALL wild creatures will try to protect themselves.
If the animal is still alive and you have a mobile phone, call WRES or your local wildlife emergency organisation.
If the animal is dead, drag it as far off the road as you can. This helps prevent other creatures becoming road kill if they investigate or come to feed on carrion.
Check the pouch for young.
If it has pouched young and you’re comfortable doing so, carefully remove the young animal from the mother’s pouch.
If the young is attached to the teat, do not apply force to remove it – you risk breaking the baby’s jaw. Instead, hold the baby securely and with the other hand, squeeze the teat to stop the milk flow. It may take a while, but the baby will eventually let go.
Once out of the pouch, the baby will need warmth. The best way of providing heat for a very young animal is through your own body heat – in other words, shove it, gently, up your jumper. If this is not an option, wrap the baby in a towel, blanket, sweater, jacket, or any other item of fabric (the softer the better, especially for animals that are unfurred).
Keep the baby warm, dark and quiet until it is in the hands of an experienced wildlife rescuer or carer.
Congratulations! You have done your best to save a life.

Q: I found an orphan duckling. What do I do?

A: Mother ducks will look for their young. If the duckling is in no immediate danger, wait a while to see if the mother returns.

If, after some time, the mother duck has not returned:

Catch the duckling.
DO NOT put the duckling in water. With ‘waterproofing’ oil glands still undeveloped, ducklings can become water-logged, resulting in death by drowning.
Place it in a box or well-ventilated container.
Secure the lid well! Ducklings can jump – high and hard!
Keep warm, dark and quiet.
Contact WRES or your local wildlife rescue organisation for assistance.