Wildlife Victoria has issued a timely public appeal as calls to its Emergency Response Service surge, warning that without support, Australia’s unique native wildlife could ‘fall silent’.
The charity, which has operated the state’s leading wildlife rescue service since 1989, has experienced a significant rise in calls for sick, injured and orphaned native animals, including for threatened and endangered species.
In the past five years, calls to the 24/7 Emergency Response Service have doubled, with more than 189,000 calls received in 2025 alone. Most concerningly, reports for threatened and endangered species have increased 113 per cent since 2020.
In addition to its Emergency Response Service, the charity operates a Travelling Veterinary Service providing assessment and treatment to wildlife in care and in the field. The fully mobile veterinary team travelled over 79,000kms in 2025 to help sick, injured and orphaned wildlife—equivalent to five laps around Australia.
Wildlife Victoria’s services are provided to the public at no cost and with only five per cent of its annual operating costs funded by the state government, they rely heavily on donations to continue their vital work.
“Australia’s wildlife are facing unprecedented challenges with climate change, habitat destruction and urbanisation pushing them closer to extinction,” Wildlife Victoria CEO Lisa Palma said.
“With minimal government support the burden of care is falling on charities, volunteers and veterinarians.”
The increase in calls to Wildlife Victoria coincides with Australia’s Environment Report 2025 which highlighted a 54 per cent increase in threatened species with the most prevalent threats identified as climate change, habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation.
“The substantive increase in calls reflects the growing impact human activity is having on our native wildlife. In lieu of adequate government funding, we’re calling for community support to strengthen our ability to respond,” Palma said.
“We are incredibly lucky to live alongside Victoria’s unique native wildlife. Step outside and you’ll be met with the rich orchestra of nature—the melody of morning bird song, bellowing frogs, crickets chirping, the evening rustle of possums through the trees. Now imagine a world without this. We need to act now before it’s too late.”
Wildlife Victoria is calling on the community to donate to help meet rising demand and to ensure no native animal goes without care. Visit wildlifevictoria.org.au to support their rescue, treatment and rehabilitation work and help keep the orchestra of nature alive.
