What should you do if you find sick, injured or orphaned wildlife?
Do not touch the animal unless you are trained, vaccinated against common animal diseases, and wearing protective clothing,
as they may be distressed.
You should contact any of the below organisations for advice:
Contact details for local wildlife rehabilitation organisations can be found at the NSW Department of Planning and Environment wildlife rehabilitation
website or download the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) wildlife rescue
app.
Contact the
Emergency Animal Disease Hotline(1800 675 888) to report a suspected outbreak of animal disease.
This hotline is not for general animal advice.
If you must handle wildlife:
-
wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before and after touching the animal
-
wear a face mask, long-sleeved clothing, disposable gloves or gloves that can be disinfected, and shoes that can be cleaned
-
use a towel, blanket or shovel as a barrier between yourself and the animal
-
keep the animal in a warm, dark and quiet spot until you can get it to a wildlife group
-
do not feed the animal or give it water
-
keep children and pets away and do not let them near surfaces the animal may have touched
-
if bitten or scratched, immediately wash the injury with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and apply an
antiseptic. Seek medical advice as soon as possible.
- clean and disinfect any materials and equipment used
Speak to your doctor and
consider vaccination if you have regular contact with animals. Rehabilitating native animals requires licensing and authorisation. A license is also required to keep most native animals as pets.
What should you do if you find dead wildlife?
Dead wildlife can still carry diseases harmful to people. Do not touch dead wildlife.
Contact the following organisations:
- The local Council for advice on safe disposal or removal.
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for dead animals on NSW National Park land.
- The Environment Line to report deaths resulting from suspected poisoning.
- The
Emergency Animal Disease
Hotline to report unusual signs of animal disease such as mass death.
This hotline is not for general animal advice or to report individual animal deaths.
If you must handle dead wildlife:
- ensure you are safe (away from a road or ledge)
- check for signs of life (breathing) before going near the animal
- wear a face mask, long-sleeved clothing, disposable gloves or gloves that can be disinfected, and shoes that can be cleaned
- use a towel, blanket or shovel as a barrier between yourself and the animal
- wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before and after touching the animal
- wash any clothing or clean and disinfect any equipment or materials that may have touched the animal
- keep children and pets away and do not let them near surfaces the animal may have touched.
Look after your wellbeing
Seeing sick, injured and dead animals can be upsetting and impact on your mental wellbeing.
For mental health support: