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Latest News
Rafael the Loggerhead Given Head Start
12 JUNE 2009: An endangered loggerhead turtle, with three flippers, will now be monitored very closely thanks to a brand new satellite tracking device.
The satellite tracking system is a joint initiative between the Department of Environment and Resource Management, the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit, Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors' Australian Wildlife Hospital and Sirtrack (a satellite tracking manufacturer).
Rafael, named after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character, was rescued by Moreton Bay Marine Park staff and the Tangalooma Conservation team after he was spotted floating with a crab pot float line entangled around his neck and flipper.
The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit transported Rafael to the Australian Wildlife Hospital, where Dr Peter McKinney amputated the necrotic flipper and treated wounds around Rafael's neck.
Nurses at the Australian Wildlife Hospital were able to successfully rehabilitate Rafael, and so he was released yesterday by Bindi Irwin off Australia Zoo's research vessel Croc One.
Brian Coulter, the head of the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit, said the satellite tracking system will be important in tracking Rafael's progress in the wild post rehabilitation.
"Rafael was the fourth sea turtle this year to have his flipper amputated due to fishing gear related entanglement, so we really need to track his movements to learn how successful his rehabilitation is," Brian said.
"Rafael will be tracked via satellite by $5,000 cutting edge technology which was generously donated by Sirtrack," he said.
Sirtrack designs and manufactures wildlife tracking equipment and provides this to researchers, conservationists and wildlife managers throughout the world. Researchers from the University of Queensland will be collating the data and plotting Rafael's movements.
"Australia Zoo has tracked crocodiles using this technology, but this is the first time we will be using the device to track a rehabilitated sea turtle. It is very important for the ongoing conservation of turtles to track the movements of this special species," he said.
This research project is being conducted in association with the Department of Environment and Resource Management, the University of Queensland and the Australian Wildlife Hospital.
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Australian Wildlife Hospital reaches 5 year milestone
MARCH 2009: From humble beginnings in a converted avocado packing shed, the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors' Australian Wildlife Hospital has grown beyond expectation, and this week celebrates its fifth birthday.
The Australian Wildlife Hospital was the first project initiated by Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, and was the realisation of Steve Irwin’s dream to establish a wildlife hospital to honour his mother Lyn, who was a respected wildlife carer in her own right.
The Australian Wildlife Hospital opened without fanfare in March 2004. The hospital’s first employees, General Manager Gail Gipp and Senior Veterinarian Jon Hanger, expected that demand for their services might see them treat around 300 patients in their first year. They could not have imagined then that the true figure would be almost 1,200, and within only three years that figure would exceed 5,000 annually.
“Loss of wildlife habitat in south-east Queensland has been significant in the past five years and has been a key driver in the enormous number of patients admitted to the Hospital”, said Gail.
“Also, as its reputation has grown, the hospital has increasingly become top-of-mind for members of the community finding sick or injured wildlife, as well as a valuable resource for a broad circle of wildlife carers who would otherwise have difficulty accessing the types of specialised veterinary services we can offer them ,” added Gail.
For Gail and Jon, who remain instrumental in the development of the Australian Wildlife Hospital, there have been many memorable moments and notable patients over the past five years, including:
- Doorjam the green tree frog - underwent successful surgery in 2004 to repair a broken femur. Dr Jon employed a human spinal needle as a pin to support the leg while the bone healed;
- Steve Irwin pledging to underwrite the wildlife hospital’s operating costs – this commitment is being honoured by Australia Zoo and the cost now exceeds $2 million annually;
- Steve the koala - arrived at the Hospital in May 2004 suffering horrendous trauma injuries as a result of being struck by a vehicle on the Bruce Highway near Burpengary. Steve would test the skills and resources of the wildlife hospital team, but went on to make a full recovery after several months in care;
- Support from the community – hard-working volunteers have provided invaluable service, logging over 34,000 hours at the wildlife hospital;
- Emily the koala joey – Emily weighed just 39 grams when she arrived at the Hospital in 2006, the smallest koala joey to be successfully hand-raised by Gail in over 30 years of caring for wildlife;
- Pengy the penguin - the wildlife hospital’s most unexpected patient arrived in 2007 when a penguin who had become caught up in storms originating in the southern states was swept up the coastline and brought in to be cared for;
- The construction of a new hospital to replace the avocado packing shed, culminating in the official opening on Steve Irwin Day, 15 November 2008.
Since opening in 2004, the Australian Wildlife Hospital has set new benchmarks, becoming Australia’s busiest wildlife treatment facility, the country’s leading koala hospital (treating 662 koalas in 2008 alone), the largest wildlife hospital in the world and a well respected employer for veterinary staff from Australia and around the world who wish to specialise in wildlife medicine.
Reluctant to rest on their laurels, the wildlife hospital team is looking to the future and has ambitions to upgrade their busy sea turtle facility, establish an avian facility to rehabilitate sea birds, and plant out and fence a free range area at the rear of the wildlife hospital where koalas who are nearing the end of their rehabilitation can roam and regain peak fitness.
Research is also a significant priority and in September 2008 the wildlife hospital established a koala disease research fund to further investigate koala chlamydiosis and the koala retrovirus, both of which are insidious diseases that are threatening the long-term surival of the species.
With currently over 60 resident patients, and the possibility of receiving around 15 new patients on the day, staff will recognise the wildlife hospital’s birthday on Wednesday 25 March in typical low-key fashion with the cutting of a celebratory cake.
All patients are treated on a “no fee” basis, and the Australian Wildlife Hospital is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For wildlife emergencies telephone 1300 369 652.
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Warriors officially open the world's largest wildlife hospital
15 November 2008 - Wildlife Warriors Worldwide is proud to have built the world's largest wildlife hospital at our Sunshine Coast Headquarters. The ground-breaking project was completed in August 2008 and the long-awaited official opening was timed to coincide with the second annual Steve Irwin Day celebration.
Terri Irwin officially opened the Hospital in her capacity as Patron of the pre-eminent conservation charity.
This state-of-the-art wildlife treatment facility, which commenced construction in October 2007, is of international significance and will greatly expand the surgical, rehabilitation, research and training capabilities of the Hospital.
The Australian Government generously contributed $2.5M towards the $5M project, with the surplus cost met by a small number of sponsors - including major sponsor Australia Zoo, construction partners Ridgemill Project Management, WD Architects, The Eaton Electrical Group, Walton Construction (Qld) Pty Ltd - and the results of the charity’s fundraising efforts.
Click here to view our media release
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The Australian Wildlife Hospital to feature in new TV series
SEPTEMBER 2008: The Australian Wildlife Hospital team is proud to be involved in a new TV series which will premiere on the Seven Network at 7 pm on Sunday 7 September 2008 - Outback Wildlife Rescue.
Outback Wildlife Rescue, presented by Ernie Dingo (above), tells the remarkable stories of everyday heroes who are bound by a single mission: to save wildlife, anywhere, anytime.
The Australian Wildlife Hospital will feature in a number of episodes in this 13-part series - these will demonstrate not only the enormous variety of patients admitted to the Hospital, but the expertise and passion for wildlife possessed by our Hospital team and other wildlife professionals working in regional/northern Australia.
To find out more visit www.OWR.com.au
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