Learn how the City of Melville supports wildlife conservation, provides guidance on how to help native animals, and the best practices to protect local species.
Sick or Injured Wildlife
If you find sick or injured wildlife please contact one of the below centres:
- Murdoch Veterinary Hospital 24 Hour Emergency Centre | Phone: 1300 652 494
- WA Wildlife | Phone: 9417 7105
- Wildcare Hotline | Phone: 9474 9055
You should only transport sick or injured wildlife if it is safe to do so. If there is no risk to yourself or others, and the animal can be transported, make sure you:
- Pick up the animal with both hands
- Keep your hands away from mouth areas or sharp claws
- Cover the animal with a light towel or cloth
- Transport the animal in an enclosed box with air holes
Common animals to look out for include:
- Bobtail lizards
- Native birds including black cockatoos
- Southern brown bandicoots
- Quendas
Please note: If an animal, such as a long-necked turtle, is unharmed but wandering across the road you can move it off the road in the same direction it’s heading. Do not try to take it back to water, unless it’s already heading in that direction.
Feeding Wildlife
It is an offence in Western Australia to feed native fauna, including birds, without a licence as part of updated regulations under Section 155 of the West Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
There are serious impacts to feeding wildlife, as well as plenty of other ways in which you can support native wildlife without feeding the animals you come across. Please find more information about feeding birds and other wildlife through our helpful brochure.
City of Melville is committed to protecting and enhancing our natural environment, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
Wildlife conservation plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and safeguarding the unique species that call our community home.
Read on to discover our various conservation efforts and how we are addressing the needs of local wildlife, from Black Cockatoos to shorebirds, turtles, and beyond.
Black Cockatoos Three species of Black Cockatoo are native to south-western Western Australia and found nowhere else in the world. Due to habitat loss from land clearing and a shortage of nesting hollows, these birds are now endangered and their population continues to decline.
Piney Lakes Reserve has had a long standing restoration project of a 4ha area of bushland that has been revegetated with food species for the threatened Black Cockatoos. In partnership with Murdoch University, LotteryWest, South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare and Perth NRM, the City has a new Cockatoo Conservation Action Plan, identifying areas for future revegetation, installation of a network of watering stations and other actions to help conserve these birds.
An area of Piney Lakes Reserve equating to 4.25ha is also actively being revegetated with food species for Black Cockatoos as part of a long standing revegetation project.
Black Cockatoo Conservation Action Plan
In October 2024, the City of Melville
declared itself owl friendly, adopting measures to protect native owls and other predators from the harmful effects of posions commonly used in pest control. These efforts include promoting safer alternative pest control methods, educating staff and the community with resources from BirdLife Australia, and advocating
via the WA Local Government Association to the State Government to phase out second generation rodenticides. City of Melville joins fellow local governments Augusta-Margaret River, Denmark, Nannup, Mundaring, Bayswater, Cockburn, Fremantle and East Fremantle who have made declarations to be owl friendly.
To learn more about alternative control options and other actions you can take, visit:
Our foreshore reserves provide habitat and feeding grounds for a large number of water birds, including the Black Swan, Fairy Terns and Osprey. Some of the foreshore is part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway; a significant international flight path for migratory birds.
These international travellers fly from the northern hemisphere and northern Australia to nest and feed along the foreshore at certain times of the year. A significant component of the estuary and foreshore has now been recognised as the Melville Bird Sanctuary, an outcome from the Attadale Alfred Cove Foreshore Master Plan.
For more information on birds found locally see the City of Melville’s Bird Watching Guide.
How you can help protect shorebirds in Melville
The City has partnered with the Saving Our Snake Necked Turtles (SOSNT) project to help conserve turtle populations. Residents can help by:
- Observing and recording turtle activity through the TurtleSAT app
- Becoming a volunteer Turtle Tracker
- Keep dogs leashed around wetlands and cats indoors
- Drive cautiously around wetlands
- Be aware of what goes into stormwater drains
- Read our fact sheet to learn more ways to help, or find answers to other frequently asked questions
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