The full extent of wildlife lost to raging fires may never be known, as rescue teams begin moving into fire grounds to assist surviving animals.
More than 410,000 hectares have been damaged by nearly a dozen fires across Victoria, destroying 700 structures and killing thousands of livestock and native animals.
The Victorian Farmers Federation believes about 20,000 livestock, mostly sheep, have been killed in the fires.
The federation told AAP the number is expected to rise as assessment teams continue to reach impacted farmers.
Assessment teams also expect to see significant impact to kangaroo and wallaby populations, as well as small mammals and birds, Wildlife Emergencies State Duty Officer Rodney Vile said.
"We've currently got teams operating... who (will) have a look to see where wildlife may be found on the fire grounds and look for the impact of the fire on groups of animals like kangaroos, possums and koalas," Mr Vile told AAP.
"It's still early days, but we will never know the full extent of the wildlife impacts."
Wildlife Victoria has been inundated with requests for assistance - Friday was its emergency hotline's busiest day on record, with 1135 calls for help.
Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell says the bushfire devastation is tragic.
"We have seen at least two wildlife sanctuaries ravaged by this fire, and I am in contact with others who have been impacted too," Ms Purcell told AAP.
"We know that these shelters, most of which are volunteer-run, are starting to receive an influx in animals with fire-related injuries.
"Sadly, most of these animals have sustained severe injuries and need to be euthanised."
The fires have hit an array of diverse ecosystems from grasslands in central Victoria to forests in the Otways and the Big Desert Wilderness Park in the state's far northwest.
A huge variety of wildlife, plants and ecosystems had been affected, with even typically resilient species showing signs of impact, Deakin University's Euan Ritchie said.
"Wildlife populations and habitats are still recovering from previous fires (so) to have another severe fire in close succession, that obviously put really heavy strains (on them)," the professor of wildlife ecology and conservation said.
"We often think of Australian animals and plants and ecosystems as being relatively resilient because they've evolved and adapted to fire over a long time.
"But if we keep seeing these events happening too frequently ... it will be death by 1000 cuts for some species."
Bushfires can also kill water-based creatures and fish.
"One thing that's often missed in fires is that although they burn on land, heavy rainfall events following the fires can wash ash into waterways," Prof Ritchie said.
"That can impact native fish species, frogs and crayfish - many that are threatened species in Victoria."
