Warning to illegal wildlife rescuers
Raid on Geelong home
WILDLIFE officers have raided a Geelong home that was being used as an alleged illegal animal shelter.
Native birds and possums were reclaimed from the property and released back into the wild earlier this month, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has revealed.
“We received information that wildlife had been illegally rescued and was being kept at a home, acting as a wildlife shelter,” the department’s senior wildlife officer, Doug Stevens, said.
“A search warrant was then executed at the property.
“Native animals, taken illegally from the wild, were found in enclosures.
“The wildlife was seized and taken to a DELWP-approved wildlife shelter, where the animals were assessed, treated for injuries, and in some cases, released back into the wild.”
Mr Stevens said only people with the appropriate licences from DELWP were allowed to remove native animals from their habitat, and those found guilty of doing so faced hefty fines and jail terms.
He said the laws helped protect native species.
“Looking after orphaned or injured wildlife requires special skills and experience,” he said.
“Injured wildlife can be dangerous and handling any wildlife needs to be done carefully.
“It is an offence to take wildlife from the wild without the proper authorisation even if it is with the intention of taking the animal into care.
“The maximum penalties associated with taking and or being in possession of unlawfully taken protected wildlife range is a fine of up to $7928 or six months imprisonment, or both.
“If you rescue wildlife, you need to deliver the wildlife to a licensed wildlife shelter or a registered vet.”
Anyone aware of, or suspecting, wildlife has been taken from its habitat can report the matter confidentially to DELWP on 136 186, while to find out what to do if you find sick, injured or orphaned wildlife visit wildlife.vic.gov.au