Guests at Taronga Western Plains Zoo can now see firsthand how Taronga cares for an array of animals with previously behind-the-scenes hospital activities now on display to the public at a brand-new Wildlife Hospital.
The new $14.6million hospital opened in early December. It was funded by the NSW Government and philanthropic donations.
The new hospital will increase Taronga Western Plains Zoo’s capacity to treat and rehabilitate native wildlife, improve its ability to act as first responders in emergencies and play a pivotal role in conservation programs for critically endangered species such as greater bilbies, plains-wanderers, chuditch and regent honeyeaters.
“Taronga is the largest single contributor of veterinary services in wildlife rehabilitation in NSW, and the new Taronga Wildlife Hospital in Dubbo is a hub for the treatment of native animals like Koalas, Platypus, reptiles and raptors,” Cam Kerr of the Taronga Conservation Society Australia said.
“Guests are now able to view animal surgeries and health checks as they take place through windows and via monitors. This unique experience will raise awareness and educate guests about wildlife conservation and the threats to native animals.”
“Taronga Western Plains Zoo is home to some of the world’s leading experts in veterinary medicine and they now have a hospital to match. The new hospital will provide care for a unique array of animals but also play an important role as a wildlife teaching hospital.
“New, larger spaces and viewing windows will increase our ability to deliver training in wildlife first aid and conservation medicine, upskilling an army of vets and vet nurses and increase the nation’s capacity to respond to wildlife crises,” Kerr said.
The new hospital has been specially designed with facilities to match a multidisciplinary skillset and varied demands. It has equipment for the treatment of burns and dehydration and for the treatment of koalas. It also has specialised housing and care facilities for raptors, with a flight tunnel that will allow birds to increase their flight fitness.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo Director Steve Hinks said the new hospital will benefit the region in many ways and Zoo’s role as the state’s number one tourism destination provides an amazing opportunity for storytelling.
“The fact that over 300,000 Zoo visitors each year can now observe this life-saving work is incredible and will act as a major drawcard for Dubbo,” he said. “By drawing back the curtain and showing our guests what goes on in our hospital, we’ll be able to forge connections with and recruit a future generation of conservation champions, equipping them with the knowledge that they have the power to protect wildlife.”
Taronga’s Wildlife treat more than 1,500 wildlife cases each year with demand for their skills increasing. Large numbers of distressed and malnourished animals were treated at Taronga’s Wildlife Hospitals during the summer of 2019/20, suffering from the impact of drought and bushfires. This included 160 Koalas treated in the field by Taronga’s veterinary team and across the two hospitals.
The Taronga Wildlife Hospital, Dubbo forms part of the Wild Futures project which also includes an Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Centre and second Wildlife Hospital at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.