Other animals

What to do if you find sick or dead birds or other animals

Avoid - Sick and dead birds and other animals can carry diseases, including H5 bird flu, that can affect humans. It is recommended to avoid contact with wildlife that are sick or have died unexpectedly unless you have appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and the risk of leaving the birds/animals in place outweighs the risk of spreading infection by moving them. International experience shows that most affected wildlife will not recover, so it is usually best not to move affected animals and stress them further unless they pose a public health risk. Make sure you keep children and pets away from sick or dead birds or other wildlife.

Record - If you see sick or dead wild birds or other wildlife, note the number of dead, species, location, date and time.

Report - Reporting signs of H5 bird flu is important to enable early detection and to monitor and raise awareness of any disease spread. Under WA's Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007, any strain of avian influenza, including H5 bird flu, is a reportable disease and anyone who suspects the disease is present must report it.