General guidelines to follow if you find sick or injured wildlife

• Assess the situation, and attempt to remove any immediate threats to the bird/animal when safe to do so. This could mean keeping cats and dogs away to alleviate stress until a rescuer arrives, or stopping/divert traffic if the casualty is on the road.
• Always keep in mind that your own safety is a priority. Claws, as well as teeth, can inflict damage, as wildlife naturally see us as predators. Don’t see lack of movement as being a safe situation – always cover before handling.
• Minimise stress by placing the bird/animal in a soft towel or cloth, and then gently place it in a cardboard box. Ensure the bird/animal is in a comfortable position, i.e. wings folded in against the body in the case of a bird, with a towel supporting its body to minimise movement, and its neck supported to enable normal breathing.
  Put the box in a warm, dark and quiet room, away from pets, TV, radios etc.
• Please do not disturb – stress associated with human contact can result in death.
• Do not offer anything to eat or drink unless advised to do so.
• Do not attempt to handle snakes or bats, but please cover bats with a towel or a box to protect them from the weather. Do not touch the animals, and keep pets and people away from them.
• Call WILVOS 24/7 Hotline on (07) 5441 6200 for advice and contact information for wildlife carers or vets local to the area.

Specific guidlines if H5N1 Bird Flu is suspected –

Emergency Animal Disease Hotline 1800 675 888 (24/7)

AVOID – Don’t touch or handle sick or dead birds. Observe from a distance and keep pets and children well away.

RECORD – Note the date, location, species and how many are sick or dead. If safe, take photos or video.

WHEN to REPORT – If there are:

• 5 or more sick or dead wild birds of any species
• 1 or more sick or dead marine mammals, seabirds, shorebirds, waterbirds, or birds of prey (the “target species”)
• Mass mortality events (e.g. flying fox/lorikeet paralysis events), even where another cause is suspected — report so H5 can be excluded by testing

Report immediately to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 (24/7)

Click here for a handy print out

Signs of H5 avian influenza in wild birds can include:

• • sudden death
  • lack of coordination, tremors, swimming in circles
  • twisted necks or other abnormal posture
  • inability to stand or fly
  • diarrhoea
  • difficulty breathing, coughing or sneezing
  • swelling around the head, neck and eyes
  • cloudiness or change in colour of the eyes