- The System
Caring for native animals
Attracting wildlife
Native animal habitats are on the decline. This can be especially true in urban areas.
This section can give you some great ideas on how to turn your high maintenance, environmental desert (your lawn) into a 5 star animal refuge.
Building nestboxes
Due to factors like land clearing, timber harvesting and competition with introduced animals, many native Australian animals don’t have enough places to nest.
It can take up to 100 years for natural nesting hollows to form in trees. In the meantime nesting boxes can give many animals homes and nesting sites. Nesting boxes are especially valuable in urban and farming environments.
The links below are to great sites that give you all the information you will need to make your own nesting boxes and information on where and how to position them.
Crimson rosellas Rainbow lorikeets Australian owlet-nightjars Brushtail possums Ring-tail possums Sugar gliders Feathertail gliders microbats various animals (including ducks, kookaburras, pardalotes and bats.
Making nesting boxes is easy.
Here are some photo’s of nest boxes that were made by Grade 3 kids at school in Manly, Brisbane.
If kids can do it, what is stopping you?
Grounded birds
If you find an infant bird on the ground, don’t immediately assume it needs rescuing. While you may not see any parents around they are very often watching closely from a safe distance and doing what they can to care for the young that has inadvertently left the nest.
Magpies
A magpie chick who is without tail is most likely 1) still a nestling and would appreciate a fake nest made for them and stuck up a tree.
Fake nests can be made from an old ice cream (or similar) container, with a few holes put in the bottom to let the rain drain out. Put it up in the tree as high as you can and watch mum and dad come down to feed.
Chicks who have a tail and all the other associated feathers have fledged. They will look like adult birds, but young. They are called ‘branchers’ as they hop around on the branches practising flying and other life skills.
Magpies are unusual in that they spend a fortnight or so on the ground at this time. This is when they are often ‘kidnapped’ and bought into care.
For people with cats and dogs this stage of life can be very trying.
Injured wildlife
Here is a collection of wildlife carers’ Factsheets They give information on what to do if you find animals that need help. But first be sure that an animal you found actually needs help. Sometimes, according to the RSPCA, the best thing is to leave a wild animal where you found it.
- Animals hit by cars - practical steps.
See also the Wildlife Rescue page.
Living with natives
Pesky possums pounding your pergola? Sneaky snakes slithering across your slate? Look no further that the – living with natives – factsheets below.
- Eastern Long Neck Turtle - Chelodina longicollis
Natives as pets
Includes information about caring for the animals, as well as what licenses and permits you may require
Frogs Australia Network has information about caring for frogs. Click on the Conservation link at the website.
The Marsupial Society of Australia
Wildlife carer interview assessing: The Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus); The Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus); The Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata); and The Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus).
Licences and permits
The following sites contain information regarding licenses and permits you may require to keep natives as pets.
New South Wales
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Press Release: "NPWS warns against keeping native animals as pets"
Victoria
While licences are required for keeping many frogs, it is legal to keep Litoria ewingi in Vic without a licence. Other exempt (ie Schedule 5) species of amphibians: Crinia parinsignifera (Plains Froglet), Crinia signifera (Common Eastern Froglet), Limnodynastes dumerilii (Eastern Banjo Frog) and L. tasmaniensis (Spotted Grass Frog).
South Austrlia
Other States:
Environmental Protection Agency - Queensland
The Queensland Frog Society Information on keeping frogs as pets.
Natives in zoos
Zoo check campaigns invite information detailing concerns you have about the suffering of captive animals in zoos, wildlife parks, aquariums, circuses etc.
The Zoo Check website states “It is vital that the information you send us about your experience includes all the necessary facts and is as detailed as possible. Always remember to include the date and time of visit along with the address of the attraction. Describing cages as ‘small’ and animal conditions as ‘terrible’ does not provide enough information. Photographs or video footage are a superb way of evidencing the facts.”
You can use an online feedback form to report suffering of captive animals or follow the steps below.
How to take action for captive animals that are suffering:
1. Take a photographic record, either stills or film.
- Be sure to label each picture/video with your name, the date of the visit, the name of the establishment and its location, including a brief description of the photograph/film.
- Enclose a covering letter that introduces and supports the photographs/film.
- Be sure that you include photographs/film of the whole enclosure and not just a close up of the animal. We need to see the full extent of the problem, which may not only be the condition of the animal. But, more so, the conditions under which the animal is kept.
2. Collect as much information as you can:
- Which animals are involved? How many? Describe their condition.
- What does the ‘entertainment’ consist of? Is direct contact involved?
- Who are the people or company behind the exploitation?
- Is the event or establishment advertised or promoted?
- Who is involved in this promotion? (e.g. hotels, holiday reps etc.)
- Is there literature you can collect? (e.g. leaflets, brochures etc.)
- Who are the main audience or visitors (local, international)?
- What other details can you note? (e.g. size of enclosures, any enrichment etc.)
3. Report what you have seen:
- Firmly but politely explain your concerns to your tour representative, operator and/or your hotel, and send a follow-up letter.
- Contact Zoo Check on 01403 240170 or zoocheck@bornfree.org.uk
4. You can send any information to:
Zoocheck, 3 Grove House, Foundry Lane, Horsham W.Sussex, RH13 5PL, UK
Or fill out the online complaints form here.
Threatened species
Search these databases to find out if a particular species is threatened or endangered.
