DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION   
ADDITIONAL DETAILS Enquire as appropriate 
INITIAL RESPONSE FORM – Distressed marine mammals/animals 
 
SICK/INJURED ANIMAL 
OBSERVER DETAILS 
Description of visible injures/sickness: __________________________________ 
 
__________________________________________________________________ 
Da
 
te: _________________________ Time: __________________________ 
Is there fresh blood, where? ___________________________________________ 
Observer’s name: __________________________________
 
_____________ 
 
Ph: ___________________________ Mobile: ________________________ 
STRANDED ANIMAL 
 
Number of animals that have stranded: __________________________________ 
Is observer prepared to stay with animal until DOC staff arrive and/or direct 
Number of animals that are still alive: ___________________________________ 
DOC staff to it? ________________________________________________ 
Number of animals that are still offshore: ________________________________ 
 
LOCATION 
ENTANGLED ANIMAL 
 
Description of material animal in entangled in: ____________________________ 
Description of animal location (include directions to the site, roads, points of 
__________________________________________________________________ 
reference, etc): _________________________________________________ 
How is it entangled? _________________________________________________ 
_____________________________________________________________ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
Conditions at the site (state of the tide, sea and weather conditions, access 
 INSTRUCTIONS TO GIVE OBSERVER 
problems, etc): _________________________________________________ 
HAZARDS  
_____________________________________________________________ 
•  Caution the observer that they must be aware of the hazards of dealing with a large whale or a 
carcass 
•  Hazards may come from the animal thrashing, or the carcass rolling over in the surf. Do not 
ANIMAL DESCRIPTION 
handle a dead animal. Human safety is the highest priority 
 
STRANDED ANIMAL 
Type of animal:  Whale or dolphin  Seal  Turtle  Sea snake  Bird 
•  Get buckets, old sheets/towels, shovels, etc 
 Get photos/videos of the animal 
•  Right the animal if possible. This should be done by digging a shallow pool along the 
 
underside of the whale and tipping it into this. Point head out to sea if animal is in the surf  
Type of incident: Sighting  Live stranding  Sick/injured animal  
•  Avoid touching the eyes and blowhole, do not pull on the flippers and tail, or bend the spine 

•
 Entangled animal  Dead animal  Catch incidental to fishing 
 
Once the animal is upright, cover with the sheets/towels and keep these wet. DO NOT 
COVER THE BLOW HOLE 
 
•   Refloating the animal should not be attempted until DOC staff arrive 
Species (if known): _________________ Number of animals: ___________ 
 
Colour pattern: _____________________ Length: _____________________ 
RESPONSE DETAILS 
Presence/shape of dorsal fin: ______________________________________ 
 
Shape of tail: __________________________________________________ 
Action taken (instructions given, who is responding, etc): ____________________ 
 
Body condition: ________________________________________________ 
__________________________________________________________________
 
 
__________________________________________________________________ 
 
Time animal was first seen: _______________ Last seen: _______________ 
Name of person receiving the call: ______________________________________ 
 
Behaviour of the animal: _________________________________________ 
Signature: _________________________________________________________ 
 
Direction animal is/was moving: ___________________________________ 
 File as appropriate, in incident files, once complete 
DOCDM-870561 

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