Wildlife Rescue Insurance Cover

1. The Wildlife Rescue insurance policy provides for Public Liability up to $20 million and for Personal Accident up to $100,000.

2. The Wildlife Rescue insurance policy covers all people carrying out animal rescue activities on behalf and at the direction of WRI, regardless of whether they are a member of WRI or not (provided, of course, the rescuer acts responsibly and with due care).

3. In the words of our insurance broker “The policy will respond to a situation where you have to turn to a member of the public to help out with the rescue of an animal. Even if this person is not a member of the organisation, under your instruction they would be classed as a volunteer for the exercise and therefore would be covered under the Public Liability and Personal Accident policy Wildlife Rescue has in place. In fact any person who helps your organisation whether its just for the day or a specific event would be classed as a volunteer and covered under your insurance policy”.

This insurance includes volunteers authorised by Wildlife Rescue Inc who hold a Firearm Licence used for the purpose of animal welfare, so long as they comply with all statutory and licensing requirements with respect to storage, possession and use of their firearm.

The conditions governing where/what/when a firearm may be used are governed by the shooter’s licence, NOT the WRI insurance policy. So, if you are legally allowed to shoot an animal and do so according to your licence conditions and requirements, you are covered by the WRI insurance policy when acting in a voluntary basis on behalf of WRI instruction.

4. Thus, with the above provisos, the following persons are covered by the WRI insurance:
       • a member of the public transporting an animal to a vet or licensed carer;
       • a shooter assisting with a rescue (as specified above);
       • a person (WRI member or otherwise) climbing a ladder to rescue a possum, bird etc;
       • a person rescuing a snake, provided the person is suitably qualified; and
       • anyone handling a bat (incl. flying fox), provided the person in inoculated against lyssavirus.