Wildlife rescue

In Victoria it is not a requirement for any local government organisation to provide wildlife rescue within a municipality.

To report any sick, injured or orphaned wildlife throughout Victoria please contact
Wildlife Victoria on 1300 094 535.

Wildlife Victoria also has trained volunteer disaster response teams that can be called upon at any time to assist in wildlife rescue emergencies such as bushfires and oil spills.

There are several species of snakes in Mount Alexander Shire including eastern brown, tiger and red-bellied black snakes.

Most cases of snake bites occur when people try to kill snakes. Snakes are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. It is illegal to capture, kill or harm them.

It is a good idea to undertake first aid training so you are prepared in the event of a snake bite. Also make sure your first aid kit contains several compression bandages.

If someone is bitten by a snake call 000 immediately.

Increased temperatures in Spring and Summer mean that snakes and other reptiles often come out to bask in the sun. Wildlife Victoria cannot relocate healthy animals so please consider calling a licensed snake handler. (See key contacts below).

• Keep calm and try to move yourself, anyone with you and your pets away from the snake.
• Watch where the snake goes. Never touch or attempt to capture, hurt or kill the snake.
• Call a snake catcher - (See below).

Who to call – key contacts

Local wildlife controller Adam Leslie on 0431 874 523 (fees apply).

Gianni Hodgson - Hodgson's Snakes - Rescue and Removal - Snake Catcher on 0490 415 734 (fees apply).

Chris Page - TZR Reptiles & Wildlife - 0423 627 145 (fees apply).

If you see a snake in a public area (such as a park) do not approach the snake or try to kill it. Call a wildlife controller to catch and remove the snake.

Ideas to avoid snakes when walking in reserves or parks include:

• Keep to paths
• Avoid areas of long grass
• Keep your dog on a leash
• Don’t try to walk around a snake. Turn back and find an alternate route.

If you would like a snake removed from your property you can phone a local licensed wildlife controller (See key contact details above).

There are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of snakes at your property. These include:

• Stay alert during warm weather when snakes are likely to be active. Use a torch and take particular care when walking at night where there might be snakes and wear shoes or boots as protection.
• Make your property less attractive to mice and frogs as snakes prey on these animals. If you want to create a habitat for frogs make sure it is away from buildings.
• Keep grass very short and remove rubbish, piles of wood and other cover, such as sheets of iron from your property.

Possums are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. Although relocation of problem possums is prohibited, other control options are available.
For information on how to best address a possum problem see DELWP.