Sarojini Krishnapillai

Wildlife Victoria

Wildlife Victoria is a non-profit organisation that has been providing the Victorian community with a Wildlife Emergency Response Service for over 35 years. The organisation has a small number of paid staff and a large number of volunteers. Every year thousands of native animals in Victoria become sick, injured, or orphaned, often as a direct result of human activity. If left unassisted, these animals may suffer and die in pain or of starvation. Our Wildlife Emergency Response Service receives notifications from members of the public via our emergency phone and online reporting system. We receive more than 100,000 requests for help a year. When a member of the public contacts us about a sick, injured, or orphaned native animal, our Emergency Response Operators provide advice to help the caller manage the situation appropriately, and when necessary, arrange for a trained volunteer to attend. They also liaise with other organisations to ensure the best possible outcome for the animal. The rescue service relies on an extensive state-wide network of rescue and transport volunteers, veterinarians who provide pro-bono services for wildlife, and the licenced carers and shelters who accept animals into their care for rehabilitation and release. We advocate for wildlife whenever their welfare is under threat or compromised. We support efforts by government, community groups and individuals to ameliorate threats to wildlife, particularly those that are caused by humans. In addition to the rescue service, through our education programs and activities we help wildlife by providing people with the knowledge and skills they need for peaceful and positive co-existence with wildlife, and by facilitating positive community attitudes toward wildlife.