*The following article discusses native wildlife and stock death. Certain terminology is in line with Victoria Police language.
IT’S one of their least favourite tasks and one of the saddest, but for Victoria Police members, particularly in the Bass Coast Police Service Area, dealing with wildlife struck by vehicles is a daily occurrence.
“Most of the collisions on our roads regarding animals are with either native animals or stock animals,” Bass Coast Sergeant Ryan explained.
“As a result of (those collisions) the animals are either injured or deceased.
“Our police go out when Wildlife Victoria can’t,” Sgt Ryan added highlighting the incredible job Wildlife Victoria and the many community-based volunteer carers across our region do.
“The Council will also go out occasionally, but they mainly deal with stock animals, they don’t tend to deal with native animals.”
Due to the abundance of farmland, grassland, and dams, the region has a large population of kangaroos and wallabies, whilst the focus on creating wildlife corridors has seen a resurgence in other native animals.
“As part of the fantastic conservation work, we now have far more wildlife than we used to. We also have a growing population and we have more people travelling on the roads at night,” Sgt Ryan stated.
“As a result, there is a need for us to go out. Firstly, we need to check the safety of the people involved – kangaroos can cause significant damage to vehicles and can immobilise vehicles.
“The cause of a vehicle fire at Kilcunda last year was due to a collision with a kangaroo.
“Most of the time, the injuries to the animal from a collision are fatal. Kangaroos, for example, tend to incur injuries on the legs, so we get a lot of them that have broken legs and are immobilised.
“Most of the time police will go out, see what’s going on, but there’s not always a lot that can be done humanely. There’s no real way that we can go and get medical treatment for these injured animals – transporting and moving them can be challenging and traumatic for the animal.
“Quite often we will have to destroy the animal.”
Carrying their standard pistol, police also have a 0.22 rifle, referred to as the animal destruction rifle.
“Our police carry our standard 0.40 pistol, which we use, and we also have 0.22 rifles. The reason for the two options is because if we can get reasonably close our pistol is suitable, however, we’ve got the rifle if we need to be at a distance.”
What might come to most as a surprise is the number of callouts police receive.
“Across Bass Coast and South Gippsland, we get one to two calls a day, it’s very rare we don’t get one.
“Police are proficient at dealing with incidents both in checking the animal and in the cases where the animals are so severely injured destroying those animals; we are trained where to aim and it’s part of the annual proficiency – there is a skill to it. It’s still sad each time.
“And (police are proficient at) performing pouch checks and checking if there has been any injuries or damage to the joeys.”
Recently, police from Foster and Wonthaggi were fortunate and saved a small joey in the Foster area after a collision on Foster-Boolarra Road around 10.30pm on February 14.
Attending the scene, they sadly had to euthanise the injured kangaroo mother, however, upon inspection, they discovered a young joey in its pouch.
The joey was carefully rescued, tightly wrapped in the officers uniform and initially cared for at Wonthaggi Police Station, until it was later transferred to a veterinary clinic.
Originally named Kevin the joey was later found to be female and renamed Kendra.
“Our police are quite good at dealing with joeys, as they do it at such regularity.
“A majority of the time collisions are from dusk until dawn. We get a lot on the Bass Highway, often the link to Phillip Island, between Inverloch and Wonthaggi, in Pound Creek towards Leongatha South near the Koonwarra turn-off.
“Wilsons Promontory is another hot spot.”
For those travelling to Wilsons Promontory, it is best avoided from dusk to dawn.
“Fortunately, we don’t get too many koalas,” Sgt Ryan said noting Senior Constable Bryan had a rather sweet encounter during night shift at Inverloch Road (Bass Highway) and Powlett Street roundabout recently with a koala.
The small mammal crossed the road during the evening and made its way into a nearby tree, but not every animal crossing is as lucky.
“Occasionally deer and wombats, although most wombats are deceased upon our arrival,” Sgt Ryan said.
“It’s not a pleasant part of the job, but necessary. In many ways, it’s the only time local police use their firearms.”
For native animals fortunate to be in a more stable condition, Victoria Police take the surviving animal to a vet clinic or suitable government agency.
Under the RSPCA Inspectors acts, Victoria Police members also have the ability to seize dogs, cats and other animals if they are being mistreated.
“We are also authorised under the Fisheries Act.”
Dealing with wild animals is not the only part of the job, with police also called upon to assist with stock on roads (and the occasional animal on the right side of a fence).
“Stock will be on roads most often due to trees that have fallen across fences, so steering cattle back into paddocks is another part of the job we find ourselves doing. Many of us have grown up in the country or are farmers ourselves and used to cattle, although our new police from Melbourne soon acclimatise to dealing with errant cattle and other stock. It’s very different to working in the city or suburbs. We are very accustomed to dealing with animals.”
And unfortunately for drivers, there is no secret to avoiding animals on the road.
“There is no real effective way for people to avoid collisions with animals, unfortunately, it’s part of living in Australia, particularly Bass Coast and South Gippsland.
“However, we need people to be alert, and to drive according to the conditions.
“If you are driving through a foggy area, you shouldn’t be driving at 100km/h.”
Noting that there are times when Victoria Police do not need to be called, Sgt Ryan explained that it is very rare to come across a deceased joey and it’s crucial for drivers to check pouches.
“We don’t need to be called if the animal is deceased and there is no hazard on the road, however, we do ask that those in the vehicle check the animal for a pouch and joeys.”
If you come across injured wildlife call Wildlife Victoria on 03 8400 7300. Where wildlife is a hazard on the road, contact 000.
