To report sick or injured Phillip Island wildlife:

7:30am to 4pm daily - contact the Nature Parks on 5951 2800 or Wildlife Victoria (24/7, 365 days/year) on 03 8400 7300  

Cases can also be logged at: wildlifevictoria.org.au

Phillip Island Nature Parks runs a Wildlife Clinic for sick and injured animals across Phillip Island, however it is not equipped to house or rehabilitate seals. Trained staff are on call from 7:30am to 4pm daily to attend wildlife rescue calls. Outside of those hours, wildlife emergencies are managed by Wildlife Victoria - the largest rescue network in the state. Wildlife Victoria is manned by trained volunteers. 

Please click here for updates on wildlife currently being monitored by Phillip Island Nature Parks rangers, and information on our wildlife protection programs.  

Approaching seals
Seals often "haul out" to lie on beaches or other areas to rest or moult, moving between land and sea of their own accord. This is normal behaviour, and is especially prevalent over the summer months as the seal pups have been weaned and are fending for themselves. Sometimes they can also look injured when they are actually not. For example, seals secrete a watery substance from their eyes which is often mistaken for crying or an injury, but it is a natural mechanism to protect their eyes.Seals are also regularly bitten or scratched by other seals. Such wounds heal quickly and don't need human help.

What to do if you see a seal on the beach:
• Leave it alone and maintain a distance of least 30 metres to allow the seal to rest
• Keep dogs restrained and at least 50 metres away from the seal to avoid frightening or injuring it
• Do not feed the seal as it may become habituated to humans and unable to fend for itself in the wild
• Do not attempt to move the seal back into the water or throw water over it – they can self-regulate their body temperature

HELP FOR INJURED WILDLIFE - ONLINE TOOL

Help for Injured Wildlife is a web-based tool created by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning that provides the general public with relevant contact details and information to help when they encounter sick, injured or orphaned wildlife in Victoria. 

Please see Help for Injured Wildlife FAQs here