Most Aussies willing to help injured wildlife, but half don’t know how

The upcoming public and school holidays are an especially dangerous time for wildlife. More traffic on the road combined with heightened risks of fire and extreme weather means a greater chance of coming across a native animal that needs help.

An estimated 10 million animals die on Australian roads every year (1) so IFAW is asking people to ensure they know what to do if they come across an injured animal.

A recent YouGov poll revealed more than 80% of Australians are willing to stop and help injured wildlife, however only about half of us (2) know who to contact for assistance.

“If you find an injured native animal that needs help, the free IFAW Wildlife Rescue App will put you in touch with your nearest wildlife rescue organisation who will guide you to the best action to take,” IFAW Animal Rescue Officer Robert Leach said.

“The IFAW app empowers everyday people to be a part of the solution by helping injured animals receive the immediate treatment they need for the best chances of survival, and to be released back into the wild.”

The app also allows the user to report deceased animals, providing data that can be used to identify road-kill hotspots that need better preventative measures.

Checking deceased animals is important because some of our common wildlife species carry their young in their pouch, and if a new mum is hit by a car, her pouch joey might still survive. If rescued, that joey then has a second chance at life.

“Every animal counts, especially with so many of our species under threat from habitat loss – koalas in NSW may only have a couple of decades left. By using our free app, everyone can contribute to saving more of our unique animals,” Mr Leach said.

The research also found that the older you are, the more likely you are to want to help: 84% of Australians over 50 agreed that they would be willing to do something if they came across an injured native animal, compared to 77% of those aged 18-34. 

Despite this, the younger group were more likely to agree that they knew who their local rescue organisation was and how to contact them (55%) compared to those aged over 50 (48%)2.

The free IFAW Wildlife Rescue App can be downloaded from Apple’s App store, Google’s playstore or at www.ifaw.org/au/resources/wildlife-rescue-app

(1) 10 million animals die on our roads each year. Here’s what works (and what doesn’t) to cut the toll : Find an Expert : The University of Melbourne (unimelb.edu.au)

(2) All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov. Total sample size was 1,115 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 19th - 22nd September 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australian adults (aged 18+).

ENDS

Press contact:
Jen Walker, IFAW
jwalker@ifaw.org
0460 432 901

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