Help For Wildlife - Victoria

Help for Wildlife was established 18 years ago and operates a 24 hour emergency phone system.

It was the first group in Victoria to establish wildlife emergency road signs and currently has over 400 erected throughout Victoria.

The organisation is structured to respond to wildlife disasters such as fires, floods, oil spills and heat stress events involving flying foxes. It has its own Wildlife Response Unit which is a specifically designed mobile operating triage hospital and is backed up by a fully equipped wildlife ambulance and other ancillary equipment. Including boats.

This Wildlife Response Unit is capable of being set up in remote areas and be fully operational and is staffed by a fully trained and qualified response team including vets and vet nurses.

Help for Wildlife has also been involved in wildlife research and recently identified a new macropod virus not seen previously in Australia.

The organisation has a very strong working relationship with all Government departments involved with Australian wildlife as well as all emergency services who we work closely with.

Help for Wildlife was the first emergency response team to enter the Kinglake complex in 2009 and treated hundreds of affected animals including pets and domestic animals as well as affected wildlife. The teams stayed in the field providing food and shelter for surviving wildlife for 10 months until they were able to sustain themselves.

Help for Wildlife is an incorporated entity, is non-political, receives no Government funding and is focused on helping Australia’s wildlife and where we can, those who help them.

The emergency phone system handles thousands of calls for assistance and advice annually from across Victoria as well as many from interstate.

The organisation is supported entirely by volunteers.