Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital Treats its 100th Patient

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: November 2, 2020 10:40 am

Isabelle the grey-headed flying fox is being treated at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Photo Credit: Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors

The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital has celebrated the historic milestone of treating its 100,000th patient. The patient was a grey-headed flying fox named Isabelle.

Isabelle came to the hospital having been hit by a car, a common reason for hospital admissions. Vets at the hospital performed life-saving surgery to repair her wing.

There is another reason that Isabelle was so important as Dr. Terri Irwin explained, “Isabelle is especially important, as she has a pup with her. The baby bat, lovingly named Pablo, will cling to his mother until he’s a little older.”

Isabelle the grey-headed flying fox is being treated at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Photo Credit: Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors

The vulnerable flying fox has had a tough year after fires ravaged Australia earlier this year. Of the 100,000 animals treated at the hospital 6,500 were bats. 1,125 of these were treated in the last year.

Flying foxes are an important part of the ecosystem and are among the world’s largest pollinators.

The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital was founded in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin. “The original wildlife hospital was in a converted avocado packing shed. Today, the new hospital is the largest, busiest wildlife hospital of its kind anywhere in the world,” said Dr Terri Irwin. “I know Steve would be so proud that the hospital he dreamed of has made such a difference to our beautiful wildlife.”

A new purpose-built hospital opened in 2008 and has treated hundreds of native animals. These include everything from platypus, to bandicoots, crocodiles, eagles, koalas, sea snakes, cockatoos and wombats.

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A vet treats a patient at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Photo Credit: Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors

One of the most common patients at the hospital is the iconic koala as Terri Irwin explained, “We have treated almost ten thousand koalas since the hospital opened its doors. We’re not only treating these Aussie icons, but actively working on research projects to treat diseases wiping them out. In fact, the hospital has been involved in more than 35 research projects, all focused on conserving our native wildlife.”

Learn more about koalas here – Koala | The Animal Facts

Learn more about the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital on their website – Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

A vet treats a patient at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Photo Credit: Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors