In 2017, The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) undertook a survey of NSW veterinarians, veterinary nurses and support staff to better understand the scale of their contribution to free-living wildlife, the challenges they experience and the views about the volunteer wildlife rehabilitation sector.

The survey was part of a larger review of the wildlife rehabilitation sector which helped form the basis for the development of a new NSW Volunteer Wildlife Rehabilitation Sector Strategy which is now on public exhibition to 12 April 2019.

OEH received 151 responses from veterinarians and veterinary nurses and office support staff representing 70 practices across NSW. The detailed outcomes of the veterinary survey are provided in a support document to the strategy –Review of the NSW Volunteer Wildlife Rehabilitation Sector. 

They include:

Service Contribution

• About 21 000 native free-living animals are received by private veterinary practices and wildlife hospitals each year. More than 50% of animals received are birds, 16% are possums and gliders and 13% reptiles
• Survey respondents reported an average of 168 hours over the past 12 months to 2017 doing work related to free-living native animals
• Private veterinary practices contributed about $1 million in free services and products over a 12-month period to 2017 to free-living wildlife

Animal inpatients

• Most animals brought into a practice (68%) are by the community and 27% by volunteer wildlife rehabilitators
• 50% of animals were reported to be treated within three hours and 98% within the day

Training

• Less than 50% of veterinarians said their formal education was ‘Very to ‘Extremely’ useful at teaching the required skills for treating, handling and identifying native wildlife.
• About 53% of vets and 32% of vet nurses reported attending any professional development activities on free-living wildlife
• 63% of survey respondents said initial assessment, treatment and rehabilitation were areas needed for ongoing professional development
• 40% of vets and 27% of veterinary nurses reported receiving training from a volunteer wildlife organisation such as WIRES, Sydney Wildlife, Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and Australian Seabird Rescue. Several staff reported having a greater sense of mutual understanding after this training

Constraints to service delivery

• Insufficient time and space in their facilities, cost of treatment and lack of knowledge and training were identified as key constraints affecting service delivery

Vets and Volunteers

• Over 60% of veterinary staff did not receive or make complaints about their local wildlife rehabilitation provided. About 23% of complaints received were related to poor response times to animal collection/rescue. Another frequent cause of complaints (28%) was about poor behaviour from groups.

What you said in the survey:

• ‘If vets were better equipped with more consistent clinical knowledge it would be easier to make appropriate decisions for the greater good and welfare of the species’ - Veterinarian
• “I would love to get together with your organisation to hold a conference about the free-living native animals.  For awareness for careers and other vet/nurses in this career path. Work as a team together” – Veterinarian