Emergency Care
Guidelines
W hat do I do if I find sick, injured or orphaned
wildlife?
Finding
a sick, injured or orphaned native
animal is very stressful for
both
the animal and you! There are a few
simple things that you can do to
immediately minimise stress and
increase the animal's chance of
recovery.
Check for Young
Always check the
pouches, and around the bodies of
dead females on the road. Most
people are very surprised to learn
that, despite the extensive injuries
to female marsupials killed on our
roads, the little 'joeys' cocooned
safely inside Mum's pouch very often
survive the impact unharmed.
In fact
they're so well insulated that joeys
can survive for up to 10 days in a
dead mother's pouch, and can then go
on to suffer a slow, lingering death
of starvation and dehydration.
Young marsupials, if old
enough to leave the pouch,
frequently hang around Mum for many
days, often watching from just a few
metres away in the undergrowth. So
if you've taken the time to stop and
check a mother, please take just a
couple of minutes more to check the
immediate surrounding area for the
Joey.
First
Aid
The basic
first aid for native
animals is very similar to domestic
animals or people. By applying basic
first treatment you might be able to
save an animal's life. The major
differences are that a wild animal
only comes into physical contact
with other species, which includes
humans, as a part of predator or
prey association.
Therefore, any contact with
humans will be very stressful and
frightening. Trying to comfort the
animal by stroking it or talking to
it might even stop the heartbeat.
You'll need to give special consideration to transportation of
the animal. You may even have to
feed the animal and supply temporary
housing for it until it gets into
proper care.
The animal should be kept warm
depending on the season, in a quiet
and dark place such as a cardboard
box. After the first aid treatment,
the animal should be taken to a
veterinarian as soon as possible.
There may be internal injuries that
are not visible to the untrained
eye. Seek Advice - If you live
in Tropical North Queensland, you
can call
FNQ Wildlife Rescue on
(07) 4053 4467.
If you have followed the steps
outlined above, you have given the
animal the best chance it has
towards a speedy rehabilitation and
release back into the wild.
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