** Wildlife Warriors ** / Discuss

Susan L. Pettitt Photography (Away) says:

**All Info taken from the Official Wildlife Warriors Website

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Australian Wildlife Hospital

Located near Australia Zoo at Beerwah in Queensland, Australia, the Australian Wildlife Hospital was opened in March 2004, inspired by the memory of Lyn Irwin (Steve’s mum) who was a pioneer in wildlife care in Queensland. It was her dream to establish a wildlife hospital, and unfortunately this was not realised until after Lyn had passed away. Lyn’s dream now provides a lifeline for nature's innocent victims – her work lives on.

The Australian Wildlife Hospital and Rescue Unit collects sick, injured and orphaned koalas and other wildlife, and provides care and rehabilitation in a state-of-the-art facility before releasing them back into the wild.

The unit includes a veterinary facility with an intensive care room and laboratory, and separate holding facilities for males and females, and diseased and non-diseased koalas. There is also an orphan enclosure designed specifically to allow hand-raised koalas to develop climbing skills and for less contact with human carers before being released back into the bush.

The Australian Wildlife Hospital and Rescue Unit has full-time veterinarians on board as well as a Hospital Manager, vet nurses and volunteers to provide first-class care for sick, injured and orphaned animals.

The hospital is already overwhelmed with patients and getting busier every day. Plans are underway to build a new facility to accommodating this growing need.

* Over 70 wildlife emergency phone calls are received every day.
* The Hospital receives up to 30 different species in a single day – including koalas, kangaroos, emus, echidnas, snakes, lizards, turtles and birds.
* The Hospital currently has over 30 koalas undergoing treatment.
* Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks.
* The Hospital's emergency hotline number is 1300 369 652 and is available to members of the public.
* Rescue vehicles and vet staff are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The hospital also undertakes research into koala diseases, migration patterns and wildlife health management, and is consulting on land clearing.

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Posted at 2:25PM, 16 September 2006 PDT (permalink)