Wildlife Victoria anticipates a difficult summer for wildlife, with hot weather reminiscent of the 2019-20 black summer fires expected.
Driven by the impacts of climate change, it is estimated that over three billion animals were affected during the 2019-20 black summer bushfires.
Wildlife Victoria is appealing to the local community to support it by donating this summer and advocating to their local MP and state representatives to increase funding for wildlife carers, volunteers and organisations.
Wildlife Victoria chief executive Lisa Palma said 2019-20 was a challenging summer.
“I personally witnessed the impact the fires and heat had on our native species,” she said.
“It was particularly devastating to see hundreds of grey-headed flying foxes just falling from the sky due to the extreme heat.”
Native bats are particularly susceptible to heat stress, and consecutive high-temperature days can be fatal.
Since the 2019-20 fires, Wildlife Victoria has been working on preparing for similar weather conditions, including establishing a Travelling Veterinary Service that fills a gap in wildlife veterinary services, training additional volunteers and increasing the capacity of their Emergency Response Service phone room.
In the past 12 months, the organisation has been consistently challenged by the impacts of extreme weather events, including floods, fires, extreme heat and unprecedented storms, all of which have placed significant pressure on wildlife.
During September, Wildlife Victoria’s incoming calls reached a new record with a 50 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022.
“This uptick in calls clearly shows that the Victorian community is committed to and actively involved in protecting and caring for our native wildlife,” Ms Palma said.
“We have a role to play, and the future of our wildlife is in our hands.”