Tuesday, 14 November 2023

Wildlife Victoria

Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (13:27): It was a privilege and a pleasure to visit Wildlife Victoria recently, witnessing the vital public service that they provide. Operating 24/7, Wildlife Victoria takes 110,000 calls from the public each year for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. This not-for-profit service saves the lives of thousands of native animals each year and day after day all across our state. They are the 000 for people who find injured wildlife in Victoria, and they fill a key gap that would otherwise exist in government services.

Demand for Wildlife Victoria’s services has grown year on year and this spring has seen a 50 per cent increase in calls from the public compared to the same time last year. This is the grassroots impact of climate change, with variable weather patterns, extreme heat, storms and cold snaps as well as habitat loss and urbanisation. Our wildlife are incredibly important for our biodiversity and for environmental health. They are impacted daily at the grassroots level, and Wildlife Victoria is at the front line.

When I visited I got to interact with two of those animals, an orphaned baby ringtail possum and also an orphaned wombat joey named Apple. Both of those animals’ mothers were hit and killed by cars. I got to sit in on and listen to calls from the public as Wildlife Victoria emergency response services responded, and I also got to meet the Wildlife Vic field vet team. Wildlife Vic deserve government’s ongoing support for their amazing, essential service and their sheer professionalism. They are deeply impressive.