What to Do if You Find a Sick or Injured Animal

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What to Do if You Find a Sick or Injured Animal
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• Queensland, Australia has its fair share of
  wild animals. These wild animals can be
  dangerous, but that doesnt mean that they dont
  face danger themselves. In the wild, animals can
  be orphaned or become sick and injured. If you
  encounter a sick or injured animal, you must
  proceed with caution, as wild animals can be
  unpredictable and many sick animals may require
  rehabilitation and special treatment from a
  wildlife specialist or veterinarian. However,
  there are some things you can do if you encounter
  a hurt or diseased animal, including

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• Secure the animal and ensure its safety
• Contact the Royal Society for the Prevention of
  Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) for advice or a rescue
• Only handle an injured animal if youve learned
  the handling guidelines
• Only handle microbats, flying foxes or other bats
  if you have proper training and have been
  vaccinated against Australian Bay Lyssavirus (ABL)

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• Contact the Department of Environment and
  Heritage Protection if you see a crocodile, a bat
  that has scratched or bitten a person (C3 bats)
  or orphaned, injured or sick cassowaries.
• Contact a local vet
• But, before doing any of this, its best to
  educate yourself on the proper way to handle,
  transport and care for an injured or sick animal.

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How to Handle Injured or Sick Animals

• Injured or sick animals can be dangerous to
  handle, because they really dont want to be
  handled while experiencing pain. They may lash
  out in an attempt to defend themselves or try to
  escape. But, they must be handled with care. The
  proper techniques for handling sick or injured
  animals include

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• Avoiding the struggle Fighting with an injured
  animal could worsen their pain or injury
• Using a thick towel (or jumper) or gloves to
  protect yourself from scratches and bites as you
  attempt to restrain the animal
• Removing the animal from the immediate threat (if
  possible)

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• Placing the animal in a quiet, warm enclosed
  space as quickly as possible. For example,
  wrapping the animal in a towel and placing it in
  a ventilated cardboard box
• Keeping the animal quiet and warm space, secure
  and closed always
• If youre unable to restrain it, then keeping the
  injured or sick animal safe until rescue arrives

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How to Transport Injured or Sick Animals

• Once you have the animal in a secure box, your
  next step is to transport it to the nearest
  animal rehabilitation centre. First, call the
  centre to let them know youre coming with a hurt
  animal so that they can prepare for your arrival.
  Next, give them all the information you can, such
  as a description of the animal (if you cant
  identify it) and where you found it. The centre
  will use this information to prepare an emergency
  care plan and to figure out where to release the
  animal once its healed.

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• Additionally, this information will help with
  the identification and management of black
  spots areas where large numbers of injured or
  sick animals are found.
• Secure the box (where the animal is being
  stored) inside your vehicle and cover it to
  prevent escape. Finally, transport the animal to
  the nearest rehabilitation facility, such as the
  onsite wildlife hospital at Currumbin Wildlife
  Sanctuary.

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How Rehabilitation Facilities Take Care of
Injured and Sick Wildlife

• First and foremost, only licensed and permitted
  individuals and facilities can care for sick and
  injured wildlife. Places like, the Currumbin
  Sanctuary have extensive experience in veterinary
  practices and taking care of wildlife. In fact,
  the Wildlife Hospital admits more than 8,000
  orphaned, sick and injured animals every year.

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• Sick and injured animals are given around the
  clock care when necessary, but theyre treated as
  wild animals. This means limited human contact,
  which ensures theyll be able to continue to care
  for themselves in the wild. Animals receive the
  proper care they need and after a full recovery,
  theyre released back into their natural habitat.