Information regarding problem wildlife
Dry weather can cause kangaroos to venture further into the suburbs than usual looking for food and water.
While kangaroos are not aggressive, they may attack people or dogs if they are startled.
If you come across a kangaroo:
Tips for driving in highly populated kangaroo areas:
Read our frequently asked questions about kangaroos.
The magpie will only attack when protecting their nest, eggs or young from potential threats, especially during nesting time in October and November.
As native birds, magpies are a fully protected species so we should try to respect their needs.
Nests can be located in your garden, a park or the schoolyard. Magpies prefer a broad area of short grass with scattered tall trees for nesting and a nearby source of water.
If a magpie feels threatened, it can attack by swooping, or hovering around you and clacking its beak. Most of this behaviour is a form of a bluff, designed to scare, and the bird rarely intends to actually strike.
In a strike attack, a magpie usually swoops, hovering momentarily and then strikes. The fluttering of wings as the bird hovers can be a warning to duck and avoid an attack.
You can help to avoid a magpie attack by following these steps:
Both Ringtail and Brushtail possums live in most suburbs. Gardens and trees around suburban homes provide similar woodland to a possum's natural habitat.
If you have a possum living on your property, you can take some simple steps to prevent it from entering the roof of your house. These include:
Possums are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, and they must not be harmed or kept without permission from the Department of Sustainability and Environment. You cannot handle or interfere with possums unless you are doing so for the welfare of the possum. If trying to capture them, you must use an approved trap available from the RSPCA or Wildlife Care Groups, and release the possum within 50 metres of where you caught it. We are not authorised to deal with possums.
For information about relocating possums, phone the DSE on 136 186.
Residents should keep their distance from snakes, which are most active during the warmer months, and could enter people’s backyards.
Snakes are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, so you should not try to harm them.
The snakes you are most likely to see near residential areas in southern Victoria are all dangerously venomous, but it is rare for them to bite people. They include the following species:
To reduce the chance of snakes coming onto your property, and to make snakes more visible if they are in the area, make sure you:
If you do see a snake, there are some simple things you can do to stay safe:
For information about relocating native snakes, phone the DSE on 136 186.