Volunteering during wildlife emergencies

Volunteers can play an important role in the search, care, rehabilitation and release of wildlife during emergencies.

DEECA requires certain training or experience of its volunteers, as improper rescue techniques by untrained or inexperienced persons can cause further stress or injury to wildlife, or even injure the volunteer themselves. The required level of training and experience varies depending on the role being undertaken, and the type of incident.

Volunteers deployed to wildlife emergencies are required to work within established emergency management structures to maintain personal safety, prevent duplication of effort and ensure the efficient and effective use of resources.  For these reasons, volunteers are required to abide by established volunteer management processes which include pre-requisite training and accreditation, registration, communication and reporting procedures, as well as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the adoption of hazard specific safety measures.

All volunteers involved in wildlife welfare operations must remember that they are working as part of a larger team and as such, their actions may have consequences for other people.  As a team member, each volunteer should look to ensure one another's welfare.  Volunteers who do not do as directed by DEECA during an emergency response will be directed to leave the incident.

Whale or dolphin stranding emergencies

Response activities to whale or dolphin strandings are high risk, complex operations that require experienced personnel.

However, in the event of a mass whale stranding, volunteers may be required. Volunteers will undergo onsite training and comply with DEECA protocols and operation standards at all times.

Large whale entanglement emergencies

Human safety is the number one priority during entanglement operations. Whale entanglement response activities are extremely high risk and complex operations that require trained and experienced personnel.

These whales are very large and don't understand that the rescue team are trying to help, so their behaviour is often unpredictable and response crews need to understand and assess the risks.

For these reasons, volunteers are not allowed to be involved in a whale or dolphin entanglement operation.

Wildlife impacted by fire

Trained and accredited volunteers are sometimes utilised following fires to assist agency staff in searching for and assessing impacted animals.

Further information can be found in the Victorian Response Plan for Wildlife Impacted by Fire.

Wildlife impacted by marine pollution

If you are interested in volunteering in oiled wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, you are required to complete training through Phillip Island Nature Park. Phillip Island Nature Park also supports a range of other volunteer activities ranging from revegetation and species monitoring to helping injured wildlife.

More information

Visit Sick, injured or orphaned wildlife for a list of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisations.

Read about Whale and dolphin emergencies

We support important volunteer programs aimed at improving Victoria’s environment which include activities other than emergency response.