Rehoming wildlife management plan preparation guide

A rehoming wildlife management plan must be submitted to support the application for a Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation. The wildlife management plan must be attached to your application for a Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation via the online application form.

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What to include in your rehoming wildlife management plan

The welfare of the re-homed wildlife is paramount, as is the preservation of wild populations through management of biosecurity risk. Authorisation holders must ensure all wildlife held under a Rehoming Authorisation are vet checked, cared for and housed appropriately when the wildlife come into their possession.

The following guidance outlines what must be included in a rehoming wildlife management plan.

Suitability for Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation

In this section you will need to:

• Provide documentation to support your eligibility for the authorisation
• Provide details of your relevant qualifications and experience
• Specify which wildlife taxa you will accept and re-home, based on your experience and facilities
• Explain how you will train and supervise any employees or volunteers that will be involved in the handling and care of wildlife under this authorisation.

In describing your experience with the specific types of wildlife that you intend to accept, you must:

• Demonstrate that you have significant experience in wildlife identification, handling and care
• Outline how you understand the needs of different species
• How you are capable of caring for multiple animals at once.

Only a registered veterinarian operating out of a commercial clinic is eligible to apply for a Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation.

Where employees or volunteers will be involved in the handling and care of wildlife under this authorisation, they must be suitably trained and supervised.

Explain how they will be trained and supervised and outline how you will record and maintain the details of employees and volunteers, including:

• Name, date of birth, contact telephone number and residential address
• Whether they are a volunteer or employee
• Description of the duties they would perform in relation to wildlife held under this authorisation
• Start and end dates of employment or volunteering for activities carried out under this authorisation
• Training details of the volunteer or employee
• Supervision arrangements

Appropriate facilities

In this section you will need to:

• Demonstrate you have appropriate facilities for the taxa you intend to accept and re-home, in accordance with relevant Codes of Practice
• Describe how you will provide sufficient space for physical, visual and auditory separation from other animals, to ensure wildlife are not stressed
• Specify the maximum number of animals of each taxa that can be housed and cared for

The facilities must be of appropriate size to house wildlife, and enclosures must be suitable for the species applied for.

A mud map and photos of the facilities are useful.

Specify the maximum number of animals of each taxa that can be housed and cared for with the facilities you have available. This must align with your skills and experience as outlined above.

Evidence that your facilities are appropriate must be demonstrated prior to approval of an authorisation and will be inspected by the Conservation Regulator as part of the application assessment process.

Any domestic animals or other wildlife must be kept separate to wildlife held under this authorisation.

Quarantine plan

In this section you will need to outline a quarantine plan that outlines:

• Where newly arrived animals will be housed
• What screening will be put into practice
• How transmission of disease or parasites will be prevented

You can include details of cleaning protocols, provision of separate equipment, quarantine periods and any other precautionary biosecurity measures.

Some of the wildlife acquired and held under a Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation will come from unknown provenance or care history. To ensure the health of all animals held under the authorisation, newly accepted animals must be kept separately in a quarantine area until appropriate screening for disease can occur.

Veterinary care plan

In this section you will need to outline a veterinary care plan that outlines:

• The screening program, including provision of initial health checks
• When additional or specialised veterinary care will be sought

Your plan should describe your expertise with the species you plan to care for and how you will manage the workload of additional animals.

Microchipping or banding arrangements

In this section you will need to provide details of your processes for checking and microchipping or banding animals.

Animals acquired under a Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation must be checked for a microchip or other mark as soon as possible. Any animal that can be microchipped or marked but is not, should be microchipped or marked prior to rehoming.

Wildlife receipt processes

In this section you will need to describe how the acquisition of wildlife will be managed, including:

• Checking wildlife licences as relevant Record keeping (also see Appendix 1)
• Management of wildlife suspected to be taken from the wild
• Management of colour morphs (if relevant)
• Circumstances where surrender or acquisition may be refused

Where wildlife is suspected to be an escaped pet, you must:

• Provide prompt veterinary check-up and microchip check notify the Conservation Regulator on receipt of wildlife likely to have originated in captivity, so that the Conservation Regulator can advise on any reported escapes
• Retain the wildlife for seven days, allowing time for the owner to come forward
• Notify Conservation Regulator after seven days, confirming whether owner notification has been received
• Where owner notification is received, return the animal to the owner, and enter owner details in records held under this authorisation
• Where no notification is received, re-home the wildlife using standard rehoming mechanisms outlined in this wildlife management plan.

Note that wildlife from the wild of unknown source must be euthanised to protect animal welfare and biosecurity – except for individuals of taxa listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, as published online

Visit Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Threatened List

There can be some flexibility in the euthanasia requirement for amphibians, where the wildlife management plan clearly demonstrates that disease risks can be managed, and animal welfare protected. Any wildlife listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 or listed under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 must be reported to the Conservation Regulator by email within one business day of acquiring that wildlife.

Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Rehoming mechanisms

In this section you will need to outline the protocol for rehoming wildlife under this authorisation. Rehoming can occur via online sale or in person. Advertisement is likely to be necessary, and that may be online via photos. Individuals may also require access to inspect an animal prior to sale. No fee can be charged for viewing of wildlife held under the authorisation.

An individual who wants to purchase an animal held under the Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation must hold a relevant wildlife licence (as necessary for the species), and the authorisation holder must sight the licence and record the licence number in their records.

The wildlife management plan should specify any additional screening beyond health checks in determining rehoming suitability, as well as identify any commitment to provide support and care post-adoption. For example, behaviour assessments can be conducted to identify if an experienced handler or specialist skills may be required for a particular animal.

Anyone acquiring wildlife that requires a licence from a Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation needs specific permission from Conservation Regulator as per the conditions of the authorisation:

• Wildlife listed on schedules 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 of the wildlife regulations may be acquired by the holder of a valid, relevant wildlife licence with the prior written authorisation from the Conservation Regulator
• Additionally, wildlife listed in schedule 4 must only be disposed of to a person seeking to possess the wildlife for non-commercial purposes with prior written permission from the Conservation Regulator
• Wildlife not on the above schedules can only be disposed of with prior written authorisation from the Conservation Regulator.

During any transaction, the onus on proving the wildlife is being homed to a licensed person or business is on you – you must ensure you have sighted the relevant permission, including any expiry date or additional conditions.

Email us all enquiries and notifications for the Conservation Regulator. The Permissions Delivery team will then respond or refer within Conservation Regulator as needed.

Email wildlifelicensing@deeca.vic.gov.au

Appendix 1 Record keeping for Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation

The Conservation Regulator will create and share an online record form for use when a Rehoming Wildlife Authorisation is approved. The online records will include the information below. Each individual animal must be documented on its own line in the records.

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