Melbourne’s parks and gardens are home to a wide variety of native Australian animals.
Types of wildlife in Melbourne’s parks and gardens include brushtail and ringtail possums, kookaburras, owls, tawny frog mouths, kingfishers, rainbow lorikeets, yellow tailed black cockatoos, blue tongue lizards, white skinks, grey heading foxes, micro bats and a variety of frog species.
All Australian native animals are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. It is an offence to take, harm, or disturb the wildlife.
Hunting, trapping or injuring animals including possums and ducks in public parks and gardens is illegal and fines apply.
There are many opportunties to see and experience wildlife in our parks and gardens, but it’s important to remember not to feed the wildlife.
Feeding wildlife can:
- alter the natural behaviour of wildlife
- contribute to their overpopulation
- make some animals aggressive
- cause poor nutrition and spread disease
- encourage the presence of vermin in the wildlife habitat
- often lead to unwelcome wildlife causing property damage in residential areas
- affect water quality and the natural environment.
Tips to protect our wildlife
Here are some helpful tips that will help protect our wildlife.
- Feeding wildlife, especially possums, can do them serious harm.
- Disturbing, injuring or trapping wildlife including possums and ducks is an offence.
- Remember that wildlife is wild so watch them from a safe distance.
Possums
Possums are one of the well known nocturnal park dwellers. Currently there are up to 12 possums per hectare in our parks, while in their natural environment there would be only one possum per 12 hectares.
Both the Common Brushtail Possum and the Common Ringtail Possum sleep during daylight hours and leave their nests in the trees to feed after dusk.
Possum tree guards
Increasing populations of possums means many park trees are now banded with ‘possum guards’ (collars of sheet metal or perspex) to prevent possums feeding and nesting which can cause damage to foliage.
To learn more about our possums download the factsheet below
For wildlife rescue and further information contact the City of Melbourne.
Possums in residential gardens
For information on how to live with possums successfully, frequently asked questions, and legislation regarding trapping of Brushtail Possums please refer to the Department of Sustainability and Environment guidelines, Possums and the Law.
Dogs and possums
When taking you dog for walk in the park, never let your dog chase birds or wildlife. Your dog may inadvertently cause damage by trampling through habitat and disturb feeding or nestling fauna.
For more information about walking your dog, see Walking your dog (PDF, 805kb).
When to see wildlife in Melbourne’s parks and gardens
In daylight hours, park visitors can expect to see and hear many different native and introduced birds, such as black and white Magpie larks (pee wees). They are often seen in pairs, with the male easily identified by the appearance of a white ‘eyebrow’ marking on his head with black plumage around the beak, while the female's beak is encircled with white feathers.
Towards evening, large flocks of colourful, noisy Rainbow Lorikeets search for roosting sites. Grey-headed flying foxes can be seen at dusk, or at a colony at Yarra Bend Park in Kew.
Nocturnal birds such as the Tawny Frogmouths and other various owl species have been observed. A number of different species of frogs can be heard calling in damp areas near ponds.
Possums are one of the most well known nocturnal park dwellers. Both the Common Brushtail Possum and the Common Ringtail Possum sleep during daylight hours and leave their nests in the trees to feed after dusk.