Bushfire and Heatwave Emergency Update
2026 is off to an incredibly difficult start for wildlife across Victoria. The recent heatwave threatened the lives of countless native animals, and bushfires have further inflicted devastation across the state.
With more heatwaves and dangerous conditions still to come throughout summer, we wanted to give our community of supporters an update on how we’ve been responding over the past two weeks and how we are preparing for what is to come.
Bushfire response
Bushfire emergencies are dynamic and changeable.
Our Emergency Response Service is available 24/7 and has been triaging incoming calls from members of the public for bushfire impacted wildlife, coordinating with the state government on response to on-ground incidents, as well dispatching trained volunteers in areas where it is safe for them to enter.
During government-declared emergencies such as a bushfire, wildlife welfare organisations are prohibited from independently entering active fire zones for human safety reasons.
The bushfire response is coordinated through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). Wildlife Victoria have been working closely with DEECA and we are an integral part of this coordinated response.
Wildlife Victoria vets have been deployed to wildlife field assessment teams in bushfire zones and we have been checking in with local vets to offer our support should it be needed.
Our Travelling Vet Service has been treating burnt and fire-impacted animals in shelters while also providing Telehealth support for emergency responders inside the fire zones.
As evacuated communities have begun returning home, we are receiving more reports of bushfire impacted native animals on and around properties which are receiving veterinary assistance or are in care with Wildlife Victoria volunteers. We encourage any landowners who find injured wildlife on their properties to call our Emergency Response Service on (03) 8400 7300 so that we can provide emergency assistance.
Our staff are in regular contact with wildlife carers and shelters in the vicinity of fire-affected areas and are providing support where needed. We are incredibly grateful for the work of our volunteers and know that witnessing fire-affected wildlife is distressing, so we’ve engaged our Mental Health and Wellbeing provider to provide additional and customised support for them to access.
Even though the bushfires are no longer making headlines, we are still responding to reports of animals with burns and other injuries caused by these fires.
Animals that have been affected include koalas, kangaroos, possums, wallabies, blue-tongue lizards, and many species of birds.
The destruction of native habitat for wildlife caused by these fires is devastating and will have ongoing impacts for our iconic wildlife.
Right: Koala receiving treatment from our Travelling Veterinary Service at a wildlife shelter.
Heatwave response
Victoria is once again bracing for extreme heat conditions.
Over the next few days, temperatures are forecast to reach into the 40’s again in many parts of our state.
We are once again preparing to deploy our veterinary staff and operations teams to triage and respond to heat stress at grey-headed flying fox colonies, and our volunteers are ready respond to animals suffering from heat-stress.
During the heatwave on 7-9 January, our wildlife vets, volunteers and support staff were deployed to Victoria’s largest grey-headed flying fox colony in Yarra Bend Park, monitoring and treating the colony to mitigate the risks of mass heat-stress fatalities during the heatwave. Wildlife Victoria volunteers were also responding to grey-headed flying foxes in other parts of the state suffering from heat stress.
The Yarra Bend Park camp is a designated national flying fox ‘colony of significance’ due to its size, the species’ Threatened status under the EPBC Act, and the vital ecological role flying foxes play as pollinators—crucial for the health of native forests across the state. If large numbers of flying fox pups are killed during heat-stress events, a whole breeding season can be impacted, potentially upgrading the species' status to Endangered.
Once the temperature reached 38°C at the beginning of January our staff and volunteers spent long days in the challenging heat, monitoring the colony, treating impacted bats and keeping the colony cool.
Our services continue to be flooded with calls for animals in need of help.
As of today, we have received an astronomical 11,242 calls since 7 January. On the worst day of the last heatwave, we received the highest number of calls in the history of Wildlife Victoria with 1,135 requests for help in a single day.
In response we have increased capacity across our 24/7 emergency service to meet this surge in demand. Critically, overnight staffing was doubled to ensure animals receive the care they need, and distressed members of the public are not kept on hold for lengthy periods.
Thank you to everyone who has donated to our urgent fundraising campaign, your donations have been instrumental in covering the escalating costs of our responses to the heatwave and bushfire emergencies.
If you find native wildlife impacted by fire or heat, please call Wildlife Victoria on 03 8400 7300.
Finally, our staff know how much their work is valued by the community, and we encourage you to leave messages of thanks on our social media posts or when making a donation. These messages are regularly shared with Wildlife Victoria staff and really help with maintaining morale during these difficult times.
Stay safe and look out for one another and the wildlife who live amongst us.
