NOTE: Fires move fast so this story is being updated as more information and research findings become available.

There are very serious questions to answer when it comes to the treatment of wildlife in Victoria. That the Victorian Government Department that markets and promotes a commercial trade in wildlife, promotes the mass killing of birdlife as recreation and issues mitigation permits targeting the destruction of around 100 native species, all adding up to around one million native animals per annum, is also now responsible for wildlife rescue from public lands. This grotesque conflict of interest is mirrored at ministerial level, with its environment minister, responsible for, and supporting and promoting duck shooting in the state among other equally heinous activities.

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The magnitude and grave nature of these conflicts of interest were discussed in Victoria’s biodiversity inquiry, Inquiry into ecosystem decline in Victoria, including by me. There has been precisely no outcome from this inquiry, nothing has been done, including the all important transfer of responsibility for biodiversity protection to another and independent department.

“The inquiry investigated ecosystem decline in Victoria and looked at measures to restore habitats and populations of threatened and endangered species. Amongst other things, the inquiry examined the adequacy of the government programs and legislative framework protecting Victoria’s environment and ecosystems”.  Victorian Government

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In 2018 the Victorian Government began blocking the rescue of native wildlife from public lands by the experienced and committed wildlife rescuers previously doing this work, citing safety issues. Prior to this period it was possible to rescue wildlife from public lands in Victoria. In yet another total abandonment of any logic (and ethical conduct) the Victorian Government has no difficulty in allowing shooters to operate during the night adjacent to houses as they shoot and butcher Kangaroos for commercial gain and indeed turn Victoria’s wetlands, including Ramsar sites, into places where extensive and dangerous shooting takes place for three months of the year. Add to this the extensive killing of wildlife for mitigation and now for commercial gain in state and national parks in Victoria. And yes, children as young as 12 years old are encouraged by the government to engage in the slaughter.

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As the terrible fires of the 2019-2020 summer tore apart the nature of Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, and as the world donated tens of millions of dollars to rescue and rehabilitate Australian wildlife, the Victorian Government was claiming that species like Koalas, Wallabies and Kangaroos were overabundant and should not be rescued, particularly so the milk dependent young which have a greater chance of rehabilitation because they are protected from the fire by the mother’s pouch.

To get an understanding of the culture of state government environment departments here are extracts from the Victorian Government’s wildlife fire response plan from 2019. There had been controversy over the plans to kill pouch / milk dependant young even if the animals are uninjured. Milk dependant young can be quite large and up to around 18 months old. Despite claims from the government that these plans were no longer current (some staff still claiming they were) this killing appears to have occurred by default. To date there is little evidence of the rescue of young animals across the species the government claim to be overabundant (that includes Koalas which they continue to kill in secretive and outsourced culls).

“The most common species that may be seen in the Victorian fire context are Koalas, Brushtail and Ringtail Possums, Echidnas, and joeys of large Kangaroo species (Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroos). Small Macropods, adult Wombats and Reptiles are less frequently seen. Conservation and population status of affected wildlife needs to be understood as these may also impact decision making about triage. For example, an over abundant population with established health issues may require a closer consideration for euthanasia of compromised animals over treatment”. 

“All euthanised animals must be thoroughly examined for pouch young or the immediate area should be searched for young at foot (where applicable) after euthanasia. Where young are found, a decision must then be made on the appropriate course of action depending on the age of the young (either euthanised or transferred to an appropriately qualified carer for rehabilitation)”.

“Rehabilitation of orphaned milk-dependent pouch young of common species such as Macropods and Koalas is not supported as these animals require significant long term care and cannot be successfully returned to the wild”.

Under FOI following the 2019-2020 fires, a process that will be repeated in 2025, this was the feeble outcome of wildlife rescue in the state of Victoria during that terrible time.

Under pressure and the international gaze, the Victorian Government did begin to rescue Koalas. This was the outcome by summer end 2020 regarding the rescue of Australian wildlife from public lands. From the data provided by the Victorian Government at the time, 350 native animals were rescued, of which 257 (74 per cent) were Koalas. Of the 342 animals euthanised 293 (86 per cent) were Kangaroos and Wallabies. Data obtained a few months later gives a total of 270 rescued native animals.

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Despite the carnage of the fires and the drastic decline in birdlife more generally, the Victorian Government called both a full Quail shooting season and a modified duck shooting season, these terrible events, which last for many weeks each year, are a major slaughter of birdlife (numbering in the hundreds of thousands of birds each year).

Despite the fires and the terrible climate conditions, the staggering loss of biodiversity in the state and the exaggerated population estimates of these wonderful animals, the slaughter of Kangaroos continued, as did the secretive killing of Koalas, and a full commercial trade in Kangaroos commenced in late 2019.  Authorities to control wildlife (ATCWs) continued to be issued throughout 2020.

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As the COVID crisis began:

"Victoria's Chief Health Officer has advised that to help slow the spread of coronavirus, you must not leave your property to go hunting. The current health advice applies until May 11 and will be reviewed at that time. Hunting on your own private property remains permissible. But we're asking Victorians to consider, 'Is this a necessary activity?"

Absurdly, it was possible to contact a Kangaroo shooter (within three minutes) via your Victorian Government COVID app.

Then we get the following ‘initiative’ from the Victorian Government in the form of the Wildlife Emergency Support Network. According to the government:

“The purpose of the Wildlife Emergency Support Network (WESN) is to improve wildlife welfare outcomes through the development of a network of trained and accredited individuals from across the veterinary and wildlife welfare sectors who can be deployed as part of wildlife emergency response activities for bushfire and extreme heat events”.

In yet another example of capture of the natural world by this government, this ‘network’ is co-ordinated by the department responsible for the mass killing of wildlife. The Victorian Government again:

“Drawing from experiences is 2023-2024, a new model for the WESN partnership will be delivered to better reflect DEECA and Zoos Victoria's complementary areas of expertise. DEECA remains the lead agency and from 2024-25 will now manage the WESN Coordination functions to respond to wildlife welfare issues caused by fire in Victoria”.

The Victorian Government goes on to say:

“The WESN is a partnership for the targeted recruitment, training, accreditation and pre deployment coordination of veterinary services and wildlife rehabilitator or rescue volunteers, who can assist DEECA in undertaking response activities when requested. The WESN assists with the supply of trained and accredited veterinary professionals and volunteers to be deployed into defined wildlife emergency roles at the request of DEECA, including veterinarians (field or triage unit based); veterinary nurses; triage assistants and wildlife volunteers (wildlife rehabilitators, rescuers or transporters).

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Natural selection?

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The outcome of these changes for the animals in Gariwerd National Park in the 2024-2025 summer is as predictable as ever, it appears from reports that just 12 (or 16) individuals employed in the rescue have been allowed into the national park making up three rescue teams to search for injured wildlife over almost 80,000 hectares of significantly burnt and damaged habitat.

“Wildlife Field Assessment Teams, consisting of agency staff and veterinarians from the Wildlife Emergency Support Network (WESN) are continuing to undertake wildlife welfare assessments.  There have been three teams deployed in rotation so far, with a fourth currently being planned”. Victorian Government, 7 January 2025

In January 2006 fires raged through the Victorian bush including the Deep Lead fire to the east of Gariwerd National Park, the Grampians themselves, Yea and Kinglake among others. At that time, and with no Victorian Government Environment Department ‘control’ or ‘management’, there were 126 wildlife rescue teams across Victoria's fire grounds composed of hundreds of volunteers, rescuing many hundreds of animals and doing so day and night. What is happening in 2025, in contrast, is an inadequate response and a token gesture at best.

When we compare the numbers of people mobilised by the Game Management Authority (GMA) and the millions of dollars spent on this organisation, which is supposed to be Victoria’s independent regulator in relation to hunting etc, the GMA was not short of staff when it came to enforcement, targeting bird rescuers. In Victoria during its 2024 duck shooting season and on the opening days of this annual activity there were 130 public servants employed from Victoria and interstate, to manage ‘compliance’ with duck shooting regulations. On an average season there are about 100 active bird rescuers (volunteers), their role to rescue wounded birds (the wounding rate is very high) including protected and endangered species. According to the GMA and in relation to the rescuers, in the first five days the GMA had issued 14 banning notices, with ten infringement notices to be issued, six briefs or investigations to be conducted. The shooters appear exemplary with none of the checked ‘over bagging’ and all licences were in order.

When it comes to the larger animals, Gariwerd National Park is home to:

• more than 230 bird species:
• 40 mammal species;
• 30 reptile species;
• 11 amphibian species;
• both monotreme species; and
• six native fish species.

50 species in the park are classified as threatened, endangered or critically endangered, including the Southern  Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby the Smoky Mouse and the Powerful Owl.

Reports coming from the Grampians (from government staff and distributed on Australian media) state, that at time of writing, around one thousand native animals had been rescued from the Grampians fire, of which‘ fewer than half’ were euthanised. This appears to be incorrect. As we said the matter we should all keep a close eye on, and in relation to marsupial species, and particularly Macropods, is how many milk dependent joeys are being rescued? That will tell us a lot. The reality is as follows, more than 3,250 animals were assessed and of the thirty per cent that were destroyed, 99 per cent or nearly 1,000 animals were Macropods.

We should also recognise the damage done to the populations of reptile, amphibian, insect and bird species and more, not to forget the outcome for the Platypus and Echidna.

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The Grampians fire timeline and information

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24 December 2024

• At present, the bushfire in the Grampians reaches over 43,000 ha in size
• Over 400 response personnel are working tirelessly to contain the Grampians fire, however weather conditions are expected to deteriorate on Thursday 26 December with increased fire danger forecast across the state.
• The fire ground is not currently safe enough for wildlife field assessments to be undertaken, however as soon as it is safe to do so assessments will be undertaken.
• The fire ground and surrounds are extremely dangerous, and DEECA urges wildlife rescue and rehabilitation groups to not self-deploy to search for wildlife in or adjacent to fire impacted areas.

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3 January 2025

• The bushfire in the Grampians now spans over 76,000 ha in size with a perimeter of approximately 400km. The fire has impacted both the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd) as well as surrounding private land.
• Over 600 emergency personnel are currently deployed to this fire.
• The Grampians National Park remains closed with limited access to residents in Halls Gap. Multiple road closures are in place, with hazardous tree assessments still to occur in many areas.
• DEECA commenced wildlife field response activities on 29 December, with multiple Wildlife Field Assessment teams deployed in areas where it has been safe for them to operate.  These teams include field veterinarians from the Wildlife Emergency Support Network, who arrived last Sunday. A second rotation commenced field assessments on 1 January.
• Emergency food supplement drops to support the at-risk Southern Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby population in the Grampians fire area occurred on Tuesday 31 December, with 17 drops in total. Four Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies were observed during the operation.

"Given the species of animals being seen by teams and the outcome of the welfare assessments, the establishment of a triage unit as part of the response has not been required to date". Victorian Government 7 January 2025

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9 January the Victorian Government said this:

“Approximately 400 people are currently deployed to this fire ground in support and leadership roles. Wildlife welfare and the process of reporting injured wildlife features prominently in their work instructions.   In addition to undertaking fire suppression and remedial works, the fire field crews are also looking out for and reporting injured wildlife directly to the wildlife team.  The wildlife field assessment teams can then respond.  This ensures a greater area of the fireground is covered more effectively.

As of 8 January 2025, 4,042 animals have undergone welfare assessment on and adjacent to the fire ground.  For native species this included:

• 3,549 Kangaroos;
• 306 Wallabies;
• 6 Possums; and
• 177 Emus.

33 percent of assessed wildlife have required euthanasia.

A second supplementary aerial food drop for Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies occurred on 8 January”.

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13 January 2025: As the death toll mounts the mass killing continues

“The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) and partner agencies are working together to respond to the wildlife impacted by the fires in the Grampians National Park and surrounding private land. Wildlife response activities in the Grampians commenced as soon as it was deemed safe to do so for staff and volunteers. The wildlife response has involved aerial observation gathering intel on wildlife movements, and on ground teams searching for and assessing affected wildlife. As of 13 January 2025, nearly 7,000 individual wildlife have been assessed, including 6,049 Grey Kangaroos, both on and adjacent to the fireground, including private land. Of all the animals assessed, 24 per cent have required humane euthanasia due to their injuries to relieve pain and suffering. Wildlife Field Assessment Teams will continue to respond to wildlife impacted by fire. The fire in the Grampians National Park is now contained. DEECA has considered the impact of the fires on total Kangaroo populations and assessed the fire footprint (which includes areas of the Grampians and Barwon South West harvest zones). Just one per cent of the total area of these harvest zones has been impacted by the fire and there is no commercial Kangaroo harvesting in the Grampians National Park”. Victorian Government

Most of the animals killed so far will be Kangaroos and in the close surrounds of the Gariwerd National Park where the commercial exploitation and cruel killing of Kangaroos is operating at high levels resulting in significant reductions in Kangaroo populations. ATCWs are used extensively by Parks Victoria (Victorian Government) in National and State Parks to kill very large numbers of native animals, as of 1 January 2025 these permits can be switched to commercial permits at the discretion of the 'land manager'.

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15 January 2025

From reports received and sightings by us, it appears that the Victorian Government’s Game Management Authority  (GMA) is active in the fire grounds. Reports state that the GMA are shooting Kangaroos in the blue gum plantations surrounding the National Park. We assume that the GMA is part of the WESN response.

A total of 7,810 native animals had been assessed, four of which have been sent to wildlife carers. 1,797 animals had been euthanised.

"Wildlife Field Assessment Teams are targeting priority areas based on surveillance, including the public/private land interface. They continue to engage with landholders as well as local wildlife rehabilitators as the situation progresses.

As of 15 January, 7,814 individual wildlife assessments have been undertaken both on and adjacent to the fireground, including private land. This has included:

• 6,799 Kangaroos;
• 477 Wallabies;
• 6 Possums;
• 427 Emus;
• 100 Raptors; and
• 1 Koala.

Most wildlife assessed in the field (77 per cent) have required no intervention, while 23 per cent have required humane euthanasia. Four other animals have been assessed as being suitable for rehabilitation and placed with rehabilitators".

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Questions and answers

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• How many animals were rescued from the fires in 2024 and 2025;
• How many animals were killed by these teams;
• What were the extent of their injuries;
• How many rescued animals survived; and
• What were the species involved?

We should also ask:

• How many of the experienced volunteer wildlife rescuers in Victoria (part of the WESN) or from interstate not in the employ of the Victorian Government were called in to help with wildlife rescues in the Gariwerd fire/ and
• How many animals were transferred for treatment to the Werribee Open Range Zoo Wildlife Hospital, what were the species and what were the outcomes for these animals?

We should also note the subtle change in language in relation to the Koala Hospital (RSPCA and Zoos Victoria) at Werribee Open Range Zoo (Zoos Victoria) now called the Koala ward. So how will this recent facility, supposed to assist wildlife in the west of Victoria, be used in relation to the current Gariwerd fire? The Nature Knowledge Channel was barred from attending the media launch and opening of the ‘Koala Hospital’ and Zoos Victoria subsequently refused our requests to visit. And naturally that makes us very suspicious.

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Werribee Open Range Zoo wildlife hospital and the Gariwerd fires

The Nature Knowledge Channel has requested the following information from the Wildlife Hospital (includes the Koala ward) at Werribee Open Range Zoo and the Gariwerd fires.

"This is a request for information regarding the number of injured wildlife from the recent Gariwerd National Park fires being rehabilitated by Zoos Victoria. Given the various media releases on launch, the Werribee Hospital was established for the purpose of rehabilitating Australian wildlife from Western Victoria, particularly wildlife caught in bushfires.

The latest advice from senior Victorian Government staff is that more than 7,000 native animals have been assessed, that is in Gariwerd itself and in the surrounding farmland.

Please provide the following information (any native animals from the Gariwerd fire treated at Healesville Sanctuary to be provided in separate list)".

Please provide information as follows:

• For those animals received by the Wildlife Hospital at the Werribee Open Range Zoo:
• Recovered / in care/  euthanised;
• Number of adults by species;
• Number of joeys by species; and
• Reasons for euthanasia.

NOTE: We are not aware of any remaining Koala populations in Gariwerd so Koalas unlikely to be in the mix of rescued wildlife.

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Not a single one

The response from Zoos Victoria is as follows:

Neither Werribee Open Range Zoo nor Healesville Sanctuary have received any patients requiring treatment as a result of the Gariwerd bushfires. 

There are many factors which contribute to the type of emergency response required in a disaster scenario, all directed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), who are the lead agency for emergencies impacting wildlife. Experts are deployed based upon the type of skill set required for the injuries/species, if/when an in-situ triage is needed, if/when animals are required to be brought to a hospital like ours. The approach differs according to the type of fire and where the fire is (and again, on the type of disaster, i.e. it may differ again if it is a flood).

I will forward your email to the relevant team at DEECA, who can provide further detail if required. 

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What is also extraordinary, particularly given the sequential major disasters in Victoria since 2019, the impact of climate change on native species and the lack of empathy or compassion for these animals shown by the Victorian Government, appears to have made the government even more determined to continue the slaughter of wildlife in Victoria, publishing their plans for commercial quotas at the very height of the Gariwerd fires.

In the Grampians shooting zone in 2025, the kill quota for Eastern Grey Kangaroos is 27,300 of which 13,850 are being killed for commercial gain, the kill quota for Western Grey Kangaroos is 11,200 of which 10,300 are being killed for commercial gain.

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Confused?

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From the Premier of Victoria:

“Last month's Yarram Gap Grampians bushfire left the critically endangered colony of Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies short of food supply. Now 295kg worth of food has been dropped into the fire affected areas”.

From her government:

“Feeding of wildlife is generally not recommended as it can cause a range of issues for the existing and recovering environment, wildlife and community members”. Victorian Government

When a major bush fire occurs, numerous animals are killed by the fire, others survive. The ones that do survive will need access to food. Large area bushfires or floods can mean that the food source a particular species requires is destroyed and over a large area. This means feeding animals to get them through the next few months following a fire. History tells us that the government will attempt to feed an endangered species but resist feeding the rest. We will see what happens. This is much more than virtue signalling, we need all the initially unharmed animals that made it through the fire to survive the next few weeks and months. They should not be left to starve.

We should understand that Gariwerd National Park is a place of last significant refuge for many native species in the western part of Victoria, native species mostly unwelcome elsewhere in the region. So time will tell just how bad the magnitude of this disaster really is. I think we can guess.

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We should note this is not a criticism of the individuals currently conducting rescues of wildlife under government supervision and instruction, doing so on public land. There are many who care and work within the possibilities given to them, we thank you all. It is however a criticism of the senior politicians in the Victorian Government who have allowed and enabled the extreme cruelties, conflicts of interest and the abominable and all to often, irrational, treatment of Australian species described here.

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