Australia’s wildlife is one of the highlights of hiking here. Koalas, wombats, echidnas, wallabies, and countless bird species are part of what makes local trails memorable. The risk is that a moment of curiosity turns into interference. Approaching too closely, picking an animal up, feeding it, or trying to “help” without the right training can harm the animal, put people at risk, and create lasting behaviour change in wildlife.
Wild animals are not props.
The safest approach is consistent, repeatable, and simple: observe from a distance, keep moving, and leave no trace of your interaction.
Cute or not, they are wild animals
It is easy to underestimate risk because many Australian animals look calm or tolerant. Stillness is not consent. Some animals freeze as a defence response. Others tolerate proximity until they suddenly do not. Even when an interaction ends without injury, the stress load on the animal can be significant, especially for juveniles and mothers with dependent young. If you are hiking, the goal is to move through an environment without changing it. That includes not changing how wildlife behaves.
A social media incident sparked outrage
There was significant media coverage in 2025 (The Guardian, News.com.au) about an American influencer who posted a now-deleted video of herself picking up a baby wombat on an Australian roadside. The mother wombat was visibly distressed, and experts highlighted the risk of harm to the joey and the adult wombat, as well as the risk to the person involved. The backlash was swift, with further reporting suggesting the person left the country amid calls for formal action (News.com.au, 9News). Most hikers would never do this, but similar behaviour happens regularly in smaller ways: feeding wildlife at campsites, moving animals for photos, standing too close for too long, or approaching parents with young. These are the interactions that create future incidents.
The harm of human interference
Interference is not only about immediate injury. The bigger risk is stress, separation, and behavioural conditioning. Those impacts can be invisible in the moment, but they persist after you leave.
1. Wildlife is not here for our entertainment
Wild animals are adapted to survive without human contact. Handling, chasing, crowding, or trying to “pose” an animal for content forces it into a stress response. Even if the animal does not bite or flee, the interaction can still be harmful.
- Looks friendly: curiosity is not an invitation to touch.
- Does not run away: stillness can be a defence response.
- Seems harmless: claws, teeth, and body weight can still cause serious injury.
If you want close interaction, do it through regulated experiences in controlled settings. On a trail, the standard is distance.
2. Picking up wildlife can be deadly
Even well-meaning handling can cause harm. Wild animals are not built for human restraint. They can injure themselves trying to escape, and young animals rely on continuous access to a parent for warmth, protection, and feeding.
- Stress and shock: stress responses can lead to injury or collapse, particularly in juveniles.
- Separation: dependent young may not survive if separated, even briefly.
- Physical injury: mishandling can cause fractures, internal injuries, or breathing restriction.
If you are not a trained wildlife carer, treat “do not touch” as a hard rule.
3. Feeding wildlife causes more harm than good
Feeding changes behaviour. Animals learn that humans equal food. That leads to approach behaviour, dominance testing, and conflict around campsites and popular walking areas. It also creates long-term management issues for parks and rescues. Why feeding wildlife is a problem:
- Unnatural diet: human food can cause illness, malnutrition, and deformities.
- Dependency: animals lose foraging skills and become less resilient.
- Aggression: food-conditioned animals may approach, crowd, and escalate.
- Ecosystem impacts: feeding shifts population dynamics and attracts predators.
- Disease risk: contact and food waste increase disease transmission pathways.
Even “healthy” food is not neutral. Wildlife has specific dietary needs, and feeding increases risk regardless of what is offered.
4. It is dangerous for you, too
Many hikers assume that if an animal looks small or calm, it is safe to touch. In reality, defensive behaviour can be fast and forceful. Claws, bites, and kicks can cause deep injuries. Even minor wounds can become infected.
- Wombats: powerful claws, strong bite, and fast movement when startled.
- Koalas: sharp claws and bites, and high stress when approached.
- Kangaroos: capable of severe injury through kicking and grappling.
The safest interaction is the one that never triggers defence behaviour in the first place.
5. It can be illegal
Wildlife laws differ by state and by land manager, but the common principle is consistent: it is unlawful to harass, disturb, feed, or take native wildlife without relevant authority. Penalties can be substantial, particularly if harm occurs or the behaviour is repeated. Examples of legislation and agency guidance are available here:
- New South Wales: NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
- Victoria: VIC National Parks Act 1975
Even when enforcement is not visible on the day, the impact on wildlife is real. The goal is to remove the behaviour, not test the boundary.
What you should do instead
If you see wildlife while hiking, the correct response is distance and patience. The animal gets space. You get safety. The environment stays stable.
- Observe without touching: photos are fine, but do not approach or crowd.
- Respect space: if an animal changes behaviour because of you, you are too close.
- Do not “rescue” healthy wildlife: most animals you see alone are not abandoned.
- Avoid roadside handling: do not put yourself at risk near traffic, and do not attempt to pick up wildlife.
- Report injured wildlife: contact a licensed wildlife rescue organisation.
If you need to report injured wildlife, these services can assist:
- WIRES: 1300 094 737 (wires.org.au)
- Wildlife Rescue Australia: 1300 596 457 (wildliferescue.net.au)
Observe, do not touch, and do not feed
Wildlife safety is a systems problem with a simple personal rule set. Distance reduces stress. No feeding prevents conditioning. Staying on track reduces habitat damage. Reporting injured animals gets them to trained care. Australia’s wildlife is worth protecting. The most responsible thing a hiker can do is minimise interference and leave animals in the state you found them: wild, cautious, and able to survive without human contact.
References
- Australian Wildlife Health Centre
- Wombat Protection Society
- Wildlife Queensland
- NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
- Australian Department of Agriculture
- Wildlife Victoria
- NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
- VIC National Parks Act 1975
Explore related guides
- Australian Wildlife to Avoid When Hiking
- Be Crocwise: Stay Safe when hiking in Australia’s Top End
- Snake bites: facts and first aid
- Snake season in Australia
- Common mistakes hikers make with Australian snakes
- Keeping wildlife out of your pack and tent
- Why You Should Never Interfere with Australian Wildlife
- Chased by an emu
- Leave No Trace
As tempting as it can be to want to get close to wildlife, it’s really important to always keep your distance and let them be Wild.
Last night I interfered with wildlife – a wombat. (It’s okay – happy ending ahead.)
When I went out with the dog into the dog yard for a final night wee, one of our wombats had wandered close to the fence, so I took a look, chiding Tui for pretending to growl it through the wire. Then I saw the mange.
This really sucks. When it gets bad, the wombat is going to to die a slow and painful death. 90% of our wombats are mange free, but that 10% are distressing to see, and incredibly difficult – and even more expensive – to treat. But we’d been gifted several treatments – normally used on dogs, and about $100 each for a tiny tube. So I said I’d try and apply it.
To apply the contents of the tube, you simply twist the top – but don’t take it off, then put the tip deep into the fur from the neck to the tail bone and squeeze the liquid out onto the skin. Oh, yeah, first you have to get within arm’s reach of a wild animal that doesn’t want to be anywhere near you. At night. Using a flickering head torch.
Too easy, right? Picture me as a mime, mimicking creeping up on a big male wombat, looking like a right dick, taking about ten minutes to cross the last two metres, stopping every time the wombat paused, clearly aware something’s amiss. At any moment, he can just bolt, leaving me standing there – Marcel Marceau minus the makeup – poised with one foot still in the air, one arm ready with the tiny tube.
The last half metre, needing two steps to be absolutely sure I can properly and effectively get that stuff deep in the fur and on the skin, are excruciating. All the time I’m thinking, even if it doesn’t run if I crunch on a stick, won’t it bolt when it feels me touching its fur, and then its skin? Will $100 of meds end up squirted uselessly into thin air?
I made the final step, leaned over, then slowly lowered my arm down, the tip of the tube poised, slowly touching it to the outer fur, then slid it deep into the fur and all the way down to the neck. Then I started squeezing and slid that sucker – even as the poor wombat turned and growled me – all the way along the spine down to the rear end. Yes! Done! Brilliant!
Feeling like I’d really cared for country, I backed off, apologising for disturbing the poor fella, clearly unwell and confused by the whole mime thing. Fair call, I thought.
So, happy ending. Wombat annoyed but saved. If anyone has an spare treatments for mange to donate to our valley (we share treatments as needed), please DM me!
Ben Marshall What an incredible effort to help that wombat! What dedication and patience in that story, especially with the challenge of getting so close to a wild animal. It’s great to hear you managed to treat it and give it a better chance at recovery. I hope the treatment helps, and fingers crossed more people will be able to donate supplies to support your work. Thanks for sharing this beautiful story of wildlife care!
No worries! We are both blessed and cursed to have the privilege of caring for country here in Tasmania – lucky to live in wilderness, but doomed to be forever fighting to stop it being bulldozed. [shrug]. You just do what you can, right?
Ben Marshall it’s all any of us can do. If everyone plays a small part to protect and conserve our wilderness, then collectively we can make a difference. It’s easy to feel helpless when we step back and look at the big picture, but you helped that one wombat, and that’s what it takes. One small but meaningful action at a time.
Samantha Strable read this
I think here in Western Australia it’s the Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2018 (as part of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016) which stipulates what you can and can’t do and penalties. I think that a lot of it is people know you can’t – but not so much awareness of what the regulations are. Quite a few people still believe they can get close to wildlife as well when there might actually be a separation distance requirement (eg whales). Regarding our position in Western Austrralia – the Turtle Code of Conduct also applies which isn’t actually in the Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2018.
Michael Goh these are all very good points. Seems like a lot more education is needed.
Thing is. Why would u I’m the first place? These idiots wouldn’t interfere with our crocs, snakes, dingos and spiders so why even think about touching them. I don’t get it….
Karen Jane Hawkins I think a lot of people don’t spend as much time in nature as we all do so they may not understand the impact, especially when they don’t think the animal is a threat. Hopefully this recent incident will help educate the broader population.
Trail Hiking Australia what hurts for me is the distress
Karen Jane Hawkins yeah me too. Totally unnecessary. It’s incidents like these that do make you question if the human species really is the most intelligent on the planet.