How loopy litter is tangling Melbourne’s platypus – and what you can do

September is Platypus Month. Classed as vulnerable, Greater Melbourne is home to only 1,000-3,000 platypuses. They face many threats, one of the greatest is ‘loopy litter’ with 4 per cent of the platypus population entangled at any one time. In the Werribee River, that figure spikes to a staggering 15 per cent. 

To tackle this often-overlooked threat, Melbourne Water has partnered with WaterWatch Victoria, River Detectives, North Central CMA, Zoos Victoria, Australian Platypus Conservancy, Bacchus Marsh Platypus Alliance and Werribee River Association for the Seize It, Snip It, Bin It campaign. 

Why platypus and litter don’t mix 

Platypuses hunt underwater with their eyes closed, using electro-sensory receptors in their bills to detect prey such as insect larvae, yabbies, shrimp and snails. But everyday items like hair ties, rubber bands, plastic rings, fishing line, string and twine can snag around their bills, necks or limbs. As these loops tighten, they slice into skin, impairing swimming, leading to starvation or even drowning. 

• Hair ties alone account for 30 per cent of all litter-related platypus deaths. 

• Unlike other wildlife, platypuses can’t see these hazards when underwater; they rely entirely on their bill sensors. 

A fatal rescue in Bright 

In May this year, along Morses Creek, where it meets the Ovens River in Bright, locals spotted a young male platypus repeatedly scratching at its neck. A hair tie had wound itself behind the platypus’s front leg and around its neck. For days the danger went unnoticed until wildlife rescuer Chris Lehman from Reach Out Wildlife intervened. Despite emergency treatment at Alpine Animal Hospital and specialist care at Healesville Sanctuary, the embedded loop had cut too deeply. The platypus did not survive.  

This heartbreaking incident underlines how quickly a common piece of litter can turn deadly. But it also serves as a reminder that these deaths are preventable. Each of us has the power to make a difference. 

The Seize It. Snip It. Bin It. solution 

• Seize it. Pick up any stray litter. 

• Snip It. Cut loops in hair ties, elastic bands, plastic rings and fishing line. 

• Bin It. Dispose of each item in the correct waste or recycling bin so it can’t escape back into the environment. 

Protecting our waterways means protecting the platypus. Let’s Seize It, Snip It, Bin It and give this unique icon the future it deserves. 

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