HELP
Before you start helping
- Make sure you and your vehicle are out of harm's way
- Never use this app while driving
- Do not attempt to handle animals unless advised by a wildlife authority
- For marine animals, alive, injured or dead, please contact ORRCA
- Do not wash a snakebite. Apply a pressure bandage, immobilise the bite site. Call 000 only if you require an ambulance for the snake bite victim
How to help injured animals
01
Note the animal's size, injuries and exact location. Most animals are territorial and must be released back into the wild exactly where they were found. If your location is not easily identifiable, snap a quick pic with your phone. Most phone cameras will record GPS location.
02
Call an animal rescue centre for advice. If you can’t get through, tap here to contact your local parks and wildlife service, or take the animal to your local vet.
03
Keep your pets and children well away from the animal.
04
Place a towel or blanket over the animal, or line a box with a towel and place the animal inside. Put the box in a warm, quiet, dark room and do not disturb the animal. A reusable fabric supermarket shopping bag with a warm liner can be used as a temporary home for a pouched marsupial.
05
If you are advised to transport the animal, do so in a box or basket with a secure lid and ample breathing holes. Put a blanket or towel over the box to make it as dark as possible. Secure the box with a seatbelt and turn off any music or radio. Pouched marsupials can be transported in the fabric shopping bag hanging over a headrest.
06
Do not give the animal any food or water unless advised.
Native animals taken from the wild must be passed on to an authorised, licensed wildlife rescue group. Failing to do so is a criminal offence.
Choosing the right rescue centre
Some rescue centres may only cater to specific animals. In this app, you will find icons that represent mammals, reptiles, birds and marine animals. These icons tell you whether or not a rescue centre will be able to help the animal you found.
Identifying which group an animal falls into is not always clear-cut, but here are some simple guidelines to help you.
Categorising animals
If you're stuck, just ask yourself – fur, scales, feathers or fins? More than likely, you'll be on the right track.
Mammals
Mammals can be anything from kangaroos and wombats to you and me. They usually have hair or fur, often walk on four legs (but sometimes just two!) and are most commonly found on land. See below for what to do if you find an injured marine mammal.
Birds
Birds are much easier to identify because they all have wings. They usually have feathers, two legs and a beak. Most bird species can fly, but not all – some prefer to keep their feet on the ground, or even in the water.
Reptiles
Reptiles scurry on four legs or slither along on no legs at all. They often have hard shells or scales, and vary in size from the littlest lizard to the biggest crocodile. They can be found on land, in water, under rocks and up trees.
Marine Mammals
To help a whale, dolphin or other marine mammal, contact ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia).