Wildlife Health in Tasmania - Disease Information

The Wildlife Health Manual

Wildlife Health Manual

The Wildlife Health Manual is for wildlife health managers specifically, and is also useful for the general public in identifying wildlife health issues and how to respond.

Wildlife Health Manual (965 KB)

The importance of passive surveillance

Wildlife diseases of significance are increasing in number in Tasmania in recent times, and some have the potential to significantly impact biodiversity. Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) occurs across more than half of the state and is causing drastic declines in devil populations. Frog Chytridiomycosis (a fungal disease causing skin changes, sickness and death in frogs) has been identified in Tasmania in recent years and has potential to cause extinctions among frog species. Platypus Mucormycosis has been described in the north and east of Tasmania. The Department is half way through a Tasmania-wide Mucormycosis monitoring project and is learning much more about the disease. Disease incursions have at times been described in threatened species such as the Orange Bellied Parrot. Disease has the potential to have a disastrous impact on populations already threatened.

Effective reporting of wildlife health events from 'front line' individuals working with or observing wildlife is of critical importance. It forms the basis of an early warning system for new disease outbreaks and helps us monitor existing diseases as well.

What to look for

1. Any sign of sickness/infectious disease such as:

sudden or mass deaths
skin lesions if non-traumatic
vomiting or diarrhoea
lameness if non-traumatic
neurological changes (moving in circles, staggering, falling, convulsing etc)
ill thrift (looks sick, lethargic, reluctant too move etc)

2. Injured or orphaned wildlife

Reporting sick, injured or dead wildlife

To report sick wildlife contact Wildlife Services on (03) 6165 4305 or email Wildlife.Services@nre.tas.gov.au
To report injured or orphaned wildlife contact Bonorong Wildife Sanctuarys 24 wildlife rescue hotline on 0447 264 625.
Any suspicion of a notifiable disease e.g. avian influenza, ring the Emergency Disease Hotline 1800 675 888 (24 hours)
Any seal, dolphin or whale ashore, ring the Whale Hotline, 0427 WHALES (0427 942 537)