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Wildlife Solutions

We offer advice and variety of wildlife removal and relocation services

Living with wildlife in North Queensland can be challenging at times. The experts at Hands on Wildlife are here to help.

Snakes

If you or someone else has been bitten by a snake apply correct first aid and call 000 immediately.

Snakes are a part of life in Australia.  Townsville has over 30 different species of snake, over half of those snakes are venomous.  If you have a snake in or around your house, school or workplace it is vital to leave it alone and call in an expert.  The majority of people who are bitten by snakes are trying to catch or kill the snake.

If you have been bitten by a snake:

  • Assume that it is venomous and apply first aid right away
  • Call 000 immediately.

Snake Bite First Aid

It is important to know how to correctly apply first aid for snake bite and have your first aid kit easily accessible.

We recommend you have a Rescue Swag handy, so that you have your snake bite bandages easily accessible no matter where you go.

View Snake Bite First Aid Resource

If you see a snake:

  • Call a snake catcher. Contact us or find a complete list of local snake catchers on the Townsville Snake Catchers Facebook page
  • Remove any children and pets from the area and keep an eye on the snake from a safe distance while you call and wait for the snake catcher, so that they are able to easily find the snake.
  • It takes years of experience to be able to identify snakes correctly, that is why it is so important to call a snake catcher who can provide an accurate ID and remove the snake safely.

If you have a photo of a snake:

Possums

While we can all agree that possums are extremely cute, they can cause a lot of problems when they become trapped in houses or buildings.

What can you do if you have a possum in your house or building?

  • The first step is to ensure that it is possums causing the problem, often upon inspection we find rats not possums. We recommend you contact a pest control company to confirm the presence of possums.
  • Possums are a protected species and may only be relocated by a qualified permit holder.
  • As possums are very territorial, they may only be relocated 25 meters from where they were removed from.
  • If it is a possum, we are permitted to conduct relocations with a nest box.
  • Cost for this service is $250 for the Townsville area.
  • Please contact us for rates for outside the Townsville area.

Please note that we are able to provide advice on repairs that need to be made to exclude possums in the future, but we are not able to make the repairs.

Find out more about living with possums

Bats

What do you do if you find a sick or injured flying fox or micro bat?

Living with Flying Foxes:

Find out more about living with flying foxes on the Queensland Government website.

Living near flying foxes

Living with Micro Bats:

Find out more about living with microbats (little bats) on the Bat Conseration & Rescue Queensland website.

Living with Micro Bats

Swooping Birds (Magpies, Plovers)

Magpies and plovers (masked lapwings) are some of the most dedicated and protective parents in the animal world, and that is why some of them swoop. The swooping season is very short and there are many precautions you can take if you have a swooping bird nearby.

What can you do if you have magpies or plovers?

  • Post signs and make others aware of the swooping birds.
  • Carry an umbrella or provide umbrellas near the area where the magpie is swooping.
  • If possible, block access to the area so that people can avoid the birds.

Living with swooping magpies:

Download the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science’s information flyers on living with swooping magpies for more information.

Living with Magpies

Living with plovers:

Visit the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science’s information page on living with masked lapwing or plover for more information.

Living with Plovers

Scrub Turkeys (Brush Turkeys, Bush Turkeys)

What can you do if you have a scrub turkey in your garden?

Scrub Turkeys can become problematic when they begin nesting behaviours in gardens. There are steps you can take to deter scrub turkeys.

Scrub Turkeys are a protected species and the department of environment and heritage protection must approve their removal and relocation.

Living with scrub turkeys

Crocodiles

North Queensland is Croc Country!

It is easy to stay safe in Croc Country and still do all the great outdoor activities the region has to offer.

For more information on ways to stay croc wise visit the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science’s information page on crocodiles.

Find out how to be croc wise

Contact Us

Ranger Jackie

Townsville Locals

We are a mobile wildlife exhibitor based in Townsville, North Queensland. Our professional services are available Australia wide.

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