Transcription Audio

Hello and welcome. If you’ve ever pulled over for a stunned kookaburra on the Hume or found a dazed possum on the lawn, you know that split-second pressure to do the right thing. Today, I’ll give you a clear, quick way to decide what’s safe wildlife first aid—and when specialised veterinary care is non-negotiable. This is built for Australian conditions. Big idea: in wildlife rescue, the first 10 minutes matter. Waiting for certainty can harm welfare. The best outcomes come from structured triage and decisive action, not watching while shock, infection, or capture myopathy take hold. First principles. Animal welfare is the animal’s physical and mental state. Pain, fear, and distress count. Your job in those first minutes is stabilisation with minimal stress: safe containment, warmth, quiet, basic protection for obvious wounds, and rapid transfer. That’s first aid. Veterinary care covers anything needing diagnostics, surgery, analgesia, or controlled drugs—fractures, breathing issues, neurological signs, deep wounds, burns, poisoning, systemic infection. Wild animals hide pain; “looks minor” can be critical. The quick decision framework—three questions before you touch the animal: 1) Is it safe for me and the public? Some species can injure you severely. Bats carry Australian bat lyssavirus; snakes can be highly venomous; large macropods can kick hard. If safety is uncertain, step back and call trained responders. Never handle bats unless vaccinated and authorised. Snakes—don’t attempt capture. 2) Is the animal stable? From a distance: breathing normal? Heavy bleeding? Obvious fractures or limbs at odd angles? Head tilt, circling, seizures? Can they stand, fly, or swim normally? If it looks off, it probably is. 3) Is this a high-risk or specialist species? Bats, large macropods, koalas, raptors, marine turtles, platypus, echidnas, and venomous reptiles need rapid referral to authorised carers or a vet. In many states, that’s the law. When is general first aid enough? Short periods—ideally under one to two hours—when the animal is alert, breathing normally, and not in obvious distress. Examples: - A small, clean abrasion without active bleeding. - A bird lightly stunned by a window strike, improving in a dark, ventilated box over 30–60 minutes. - A displaced but uninjured juvenile that could be reunited, like a ringtail joey near its nest at dusk. In those cases, do less, but do it well: contain safely, provide warmth and quiet, shade from sun, protection from ants. Call a licensed carer or wildlife-friendly vet to organise transfer. And the big rule: don’t feed and don’t give fluids. It’s the number one well-meant mistake—aspiration, gut issues, more stress. Now, the bright lines for veterinary care—don’t debate these, move: - Severe trauma: fractures (especially open), deep or penetrating wounds, heavy bleeding, visible bone, evisceration. Vehicle strikes often hide internal injuries that deteriorate fast. - Neurological signs: head tilt, flickering eye movements, seizures, staggering, circling, stupor, unresponsiveness. - Respiratory compromise: open-mouth breathing in birds, laboured or noisy breaths, gasping, blue or pale gums or tongue, foam from the beak. - Eye injuries: blood, swelling, cloudy cornea, or prolapsed eye. For raptors and nocturnal species, vision is survival. - Burns: bushfire, powerlines, heat. Don’t apply creams; transport urgently. - Deep, dirty, or maggoty wounds: flystrike can turn survivable injuries into crisis within hours. - Cat or dog attacks: even tiny punctures are loaded with bacteria. Needs antibiotics and pain relief within hours. - Heat stress and dehydration: panting, drooling, weakness, collapse. Flying foxes and koalas are vulnerable. Cool the environment, keep quiet, don’t spray the animal directly. Never handle flying foxes. - Tick paralysis: wobbliness, weakness, breathing difficulty. Needs oxygen support and antiserum. - Poisoning or oil/chemical contamination: don’t wash at home. Keep warm and contained; get to a vet or trained responder. - Orphaned neonates: furless joeys, featherless chicks, closed eyes, low weight. Needs species-specific formulas; cow’s milk can be fatal. - Entanglements and fishing gear: do not pull hooks or remove embedded gear. Contain, keep dry and dark. If safe, cut line to leave a manageable length without tugging; then go to a vet or specialist. Species caveats, rapid-fire: - Bats: vaccinated, authorised handlers only. - Large macropods: risk of serious injury to you and capture myopathy to them; they stress easily and can die from it. - Raptors: talons first—call a specialist. - Echidnas: incredible diggers—use a deep, sturdy box with secure lid. - Platypus: venomous spurs—don’t handle. - Marine turtles: permit species—keep dry, cool, dark until experts arrive. - Snakes and large monitors: call a licensed relocator. Now, your first ten-minute playbook: 1) Scan for safety. Traffic, dogs, heat, hazards. Park safely, hazards on, keep bystanders back. 2) Observe from a distance. Breathing, posture, mobility, obvious injuries, basic species ID if you can do it safely. 3) Make the call early. Contact your state wildlife rescue hotline—WIRES (NSW), Wildlife Victoria, RSPCA (QLD and SA), or your local volunteer network. Describe what you see. Get a plan while you prepare containment. 4) Prepare the container. Ventilated cardboard box with a towel in the bottom suits most small animals and birds. For tiny birds, a small box or breathable pouch inside a larger box prevents bouncing. Close the lid—darkness calms. 5) Contain with minimal handling. Gloves if you have them. For birds, towel over the body, keeping the chest free to breathe. For small mammals, a gentle towel scoop into the box. Don’t chase; calm, deliberate moves. 6) Reduce stress. Quiet, dim, away from pets and people. No peeking. 7) Manage temperature. Not hot, not cold. In winter, gentle warmth under the box (not directly on the animal). In summer, shade and airflow—never direct sun. 8) Decide and move. Red flags? Go straight to a wildlife-friendly vet—phone ahead. Stable and suitable for first aid? Keep it under one to two hours and transfer promptly to a licensed carer or clinic. 9) Document. Exact location found, time, and likely cause—window strike, road, cat nearby. It matters for treatment and release. Common mistakes to avoid: - Over-handling—raises stress and capture myopathy risk. - Feeding or giving water—don’t. - Cleaning wounds with disinfectants—can burn tissue. - Posting on social media instead of calling help. - Leaving an animal in a hot car. - Attempting to raise wildlife without a permit. - Yanking fishing hooks—don’t. Legal basics in one breath: many native species are protected. Your role is to stabilise and transfer to authorised carers or vets quickly. Some species require specific authorisation to handle. Vets provide pain relief and make humane decisions when recovery isn’t possible—that call is theirs. I want you to feel confident. The line between first aid and vet care gets clear when you start with safety, assess stability, and respect species risks. First aid is containment, warmth, quiet, and speed. Veterinary care is anything needing pain relief, diagnostics, surgery, complex nursing, or urgent treatment. If unsure, escalate. No vet will fault you for bringing wildlife in; most clinics in Australia will see wildlife without charge for the finder. Your quick action can be the difference between release and preventable loss. So next time you see that dazed bird or injured marsupial, take a breath, run the three questions, and act: safety first; assess stability; know the species. Keep it calm and contained. Don’t feed. Move quickly toward the right help. And do one thing today: save key hotlines in your phone—WIRES in NSW, Wildlife Victoria, your local RSPCA, or your regional volunteer rescue group. You’ll never regret being ready.