People are being urged to not only look after their own animals during extreme heat, but to keep an eye out for native wildlife.
With temperatures set to rise again by the end of this week, Pye Street Veterinary Clinic veterinarian Dr Mary Slater said it would be a good idea for people to keep an eye out for wildlife in distress.
“Most vets will treat wildlife for free,” Dr Slater said.
“In fact, vets spend a lot of time and money each year treating wildlife.”
Wildlife exposed to prolonged heat will display symptoms and can appear lethargic, disorientated or unresponsive.
Tree-dwelling and nocturnal wildlife such as possums and koalas may be seen on the ground in search of water during heat stress while birds will often pant and stretch their wings to cool down.
Dr Slater said it was important for people to bring injured wildlife into veterinary clinics to be treated properly.
“Legally people can’t keep wildlife if they don’t have a licence,” she said.
To read more about this story, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (February 6).
