Backyard hazards that can impact Australian wildlife

In the spring and summer months, wildlife care groups are usually inundated with calls for assistance. If you are interested in caring for wildlife – give your local wildlife organisation a call.

Birds are very active at this time of year and often become stunned due to flying into a tinted window.

Native fauna can be injured from a dog or cat attack. Domestic pets should be confined to their own backyards during the day and kept inside at night.

Lawn-mowers and powered edge-trimmers cause many accidents to ground-dwelling animals such as lizards and snakes, who are often hidden in the long grass.

Lizards, such as this Eastern Bearded Dragon, can be found in bushy suburban backyards and parks. Bearded dragons can be grey, black or brown in colour, and blend in with bark, tree trunks and dead branches. We often see bearded dragons eating the bright purple berries from Dianella plants (often called ‘flax lilies’) in our garden. They forage underneath the foliage to find fallen berries and scurry around eating lots of insects, snails and beetles amongst the leaves and mulch.