Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital

09/01/2026

🔥 Extreme Heat Alert

Prolonged hot weather places significant stress on native wildlife. During extreme heat, animals may become dehydrated, exhausted, or unable to regulate their body temperature.

What you might see this weekend:

🐨Koalas descending trees, panting, sitting low on branches, or resting near or on the ground.
🦇Flying foxes collapsing, hanging low, or falling from trees.
🐦Birds panting, holding wings out, sitting on the ground, or appearing disoriented.
🔆Possums active during the day, appearing lethargic or uncoordinated.
🦎 Reptiles inactive, exposed, or unable to move away from the heat.

🐾 How you can help
- Place shallow dishes of fresh water in shaded areas. Add sticks or stones so small animals can safely climb out.
- Keep pets restrained and away from wildlife.
- If safe to do so, provide temporary shade (such as an umbrella or shade cloth) for animals showing signs of heat stress and in direct sun.

🚑 If an animal is distressed or injured
- Contact a licensed wildlife rescue and rehabilitation group in the local area. You can find your local wildlife provider by downloading the IFAW wildlife rescue app https://www.ifaw.org/au/resources/wildlife-rescue-app
- If safe, gently mist the surrounding area (not the animal directly) while waiting for advice.

⚠️ Important
- Do not give food or water directly into an animal’s mouth.
- Do not handle or attempt to relocate wildlife, as this can increase stress and cause injury.
- DO NOT handle flying foxes, as they can carry diseases transmissible to humans.
- Do not handle venomous snakes unless trained and licensed.

💚 These kind actions during extreme heat events can make a life‑saving difference for our native wildlife.

09/01/2026

🦘 We have reopened for 2026.

A friendly reminder that the Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital is a dedicated wildlife hospital, open for wildlife admissions Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm.

We are NOT a 24‑hour facility. We are closed after-hours and on weekends.

🚨Urgent cases
Animals requiring urgent or emergency care can be seen without an appointment during standard operating hours. Where possible, please call ahead to provide details so our team can prepare.

💛Non‑urgent cases
Walk‑ins may be accepted during standard operating hours, but appointments are strongly encouraged. Please contact the hospital in advance to discuss your case or to arrange an appointment.

If you find sick or injured wildlife, please follow these steps to ensure the safety of both the animal and yourself:

✔️ Keep yourself and the animal safe
✔️ Cover the animal with a towel or blanket
✔️ Contain the animal in a cardboard box or covered crate only if safe to do so
✔️ Place the box in a quiet, dark place
✔️ Do not give food or water unless advised
✔️ Keep pets and people away; minimise noise and handling
✔️ Do not handle bats or venomous snakes unless you are licensed and trained

📱Contact a licensed wildlife rescue and rehabilitation group in the local area. You can find your local wildlife provider by downloading the IFAW wildlife rescue app https://www.ifaw.org/au/resources/wildlife-rescue-app, or visiting: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/native-animals/rehabilitating-native-animals/licensed-wildlife-rehabilitation-providers-in-nsw

For further guidance, see: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/native-animals/sick-or-injured-animals

Thank you for helping protect our native wildlife. 💚

📍415 Werombi Road, Brownlow Hill
📞(02) 4655 0798

14/12/2025

Our Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital is closed for the holiday period, from Friday 12 December, 4:30pm until Monday 5 January 2026, 8:30 am.

For injured, sick, or displaced wildlife, your first call should be to a licensed wildlife rescue group. The IFAW Wildlife Rescue App makes this easy, connecting you with the nearest rescue group.

Download the app now: https://www.ifaw.org/au/resources/wildlife-rescue-app.

For emergency or trauma cases, wildlife may need urgent hospital care. We recommend taking the animal to the following emergency/after-hours veterinary hospitals, depending on which is most convenient for you:

🏥VECA Campbelltown (Open 24/7)
5/10 Blaxland Rd, Campbelltown
02 4089 4639

🏥 University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Sydney (Open 24/7)
65 Parramatta Road
Camperdown
02 9351 3437

🏥ARH Wollongong (Mon - Fri: 6pm-7am, Sat - Sun: 24 hours)
1-3 Princes Highway
Fairy Meadow
02 4283 8432

🏥SASH Western Sydney (Open 24/7)
1 Rowood Road
Prospect
02 8609 9444

Wishing you a happy and safe holiday period, from all of us at the Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital Camden. 🐨

10/12/2025

Our very own Dr Michelle Campbell-Ward is featured in Episode 2 of the AMR Vet Collective’s new podcast series, “ABC of AMS in Wildlife”. This is a must-listen for wildlife rehabilitators and anyone passionate about responsible animal care.

In this episode, Michelle discusses caring for paediatric mammals, covering when antibiotics are helpful (and when they aren’t), infection prevention, and what good antimicrobial stewardship looks like in wildlife care.

Listen now: https://soundcloud.com/amr_vet_collective/michelle-campbell-ward-carers

We're here to support veterinarians on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship.

12/11/2025

Many beautiful baby birds are around this time of year. Here’s how to tell if they need help:

🐦 Precocial chicks, like ducks and masked lapwings (plovers), are independent from the start. They can feed themselves and usually don’t need help.

🕊️ Altricial chicks, like magpies, parrots, and noisy miners, need parental care until they’re ready to leave the nest. If you see a featherless chick with closed eyes, it may need help reuniting with its parents or nest.

🪶 Fledgling altricial birds are learning to fly and likely have watchful parents nearby, so give them space unless they’re in danger.

If you’re unsure, call WIRES (1300 094 737), Sydney Wildlife Rescue (02 9413 4300), or another local wildlife group near you. Otherwise, enjoy watching the young birds as they settle into the season!

07/11/2025

We’ve recently had some well-meaning members of the public, wildlife rescuers, and rehabilitators arriving without prior notice or expecting weekend appointments. This can place a lot of pressure on our small weekend team.

We are open to the public Monday–Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm for wildlife admissions and veterinary consultations, and we encourage you to bring wildlife to our hospital (particularly emergency or trauma cases) during these hours to ensure the animal can receive prompt and adequate veterinary care. However, on weekends, our hospital is NOT OPEN to the public. This includes any wildlife care groups, rescuers, or rehabilitators.

While a vet and nurse are on site over the weekend to ensure continuity of care for in-house patients, we kindly ask that you do not bring wildlife to the hospital on weekends unless prior arrangements have been confirmed. This ensures our weekend team can focus on providing the best care for animals already in hospital.

For emergencies, please take animals to your nearest veterinary clinic or VECA in Campbelltown, which operates 24/7. For non-urgent cases outside our opening hours, please contact a local wildlife rescue organisation such as WIRES or Sydney Wildlife Rescue for guidance and support.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us provide the highest standard of care.💚

26/09/2025

17/09/2025

In August, our team had the privilege of presenting at the .ava Conference.

Associate Professor Annabelle Olsson, Hospital Director, presented at the Conservation Biology stream. Veterinarians Dr Aimee Deaves and Dr Sarah Foo spoke at the Unusual Pets & Avian Stream, showcasing the incredible work we do with wildlife every day.

Annabelle shared insights on “Topical tropical wildlife issues,” covering common presentations like orphaned joeys, avian trauma, stress-related illness, and animal attack wounds, highlighting management strategies and ethical considerations in wildlife rehabilitation. She also presented a second paper at the Conservation Biology stream on current research initiatives in Northern Australia and collaborations being developed with the University of Sydney.

Aimee’s presentation, “A day in the life of injured wildlife at a designated wildlife rehabilitation teaching hospital,” explored the journey of wildlife patients through our hospital, from admission and diagnostics to rehabilitation and release.

Sarah was also presented at the conference and was honoured to receive the Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship for her paper on a challenging wombat case. The study detailed the complexities of managing a non-healing wound on an adult bare-nosed wombat, from thick skin to treatment costs, and the importance of sharing case studies to guide future care.

It was inspiring to see our research and clinical experience recognised, and to connect with other veterinary professionals passionate about advancing veterinary care for wildlife.

27/08/2025

Experience everything veterinary science has to offer at Open Day 2025! 🐾

Come and visit our Veterinary Science stall at the Science Hub for an exciting program full of hands-on activities, games, and info sessions where you can get your questions answered and see what it’s really like to study veterinary science at Sydney.

Learn about our University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals in Sydney and Camden and discover the amazing opportunities that await you as a future vet.

🗓️ Check out the full schedule: https://openday.sydney.edu.au/program/?area-of-interest=science

18/08/2025

Not every animal we treat can be saved — that’s the reality of wildlife care. But even in those moments, our hospital plays a vital role in shaping a better future for wildlife.

A young bare-nosed wombat recently came into care at our Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital in Camden. Sadly, due to the severity of his illness, euthanasia was the most appropriate option.

During the post-mortem, pathologist Dr Sara Pagliarani from our University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals Camden collected intestinal tissue samples. These cells are now thriving in a lab at our Camden campus, thanks to Veterinary Sciences, University of Sydney postdoctoral researcher Dr Lee Campbell. They’re part of a growing living cell biobank that will help scientists better understand the immune systems of Australia’s marsupials — supporting research into disease, conservation, and resilience in our native species.

This is what makes our hospital unique. We’re not just treating wildlife, we’re working side by side with researchers to advance science, conservation and care for future generations of Australian animals.

🎥 See the cells in action: Dr Campbell has shared videos of the wombat’s intestinal fibroblasts moving and responding in culture. Sped up 16×, the video shows the cells just minutes after passaging: initially balled up and stressed, but already reattaching and extending cytoskeletal processes.

📸 Image: Bare-nosed Wombat, Vombatus ursinus. Image: Raz Brewer
© CC BY-NC 4.0

14/08/2025

Dr Alisdair Eddie, an intern veterinarian at the University of Sydney Veterinary Teaching Hospitals, has been in the spotlight after providing exceptional veterinary care for a young wombat battling mange and a large lump on his leg who was brought into our hospital by WIRES volunteers.

This challenging case brought together vets, nurses, and imaging specialists from two of our University Veterinarian Teaching Hospitals — the city-based University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Sydney in Camperdown and the Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital in Camden.

By pooling their expertise, our hospital staff - including veterinarians, diagnostics, nursing teams, and behind-the-scenes staff delivered precise diagnosis and tailored treatment for this wild patient.

With treatment beginning at our Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospitals, the wombat was later transported to UVTHS, courtesy of WIRES ambulance, where a CT scan helped guide this patient's care. It was quite an unusual sight for our city-based hospital, which typically sees small domestic pets!

Dr Eddie, originally from South Africa, is on an Emergency/Wildlife veterinary internship shared between both hospitals. His work shows how close collaboration across our teaching hospital network combines exceptional animal care with hands-on training for future and early-career veterinarians.

We’re excited to share more on this extraordinary case soon.

06/08/2025

We welcome the announcement of Warranmadhaa (Georges River Koala National Park) — a vital step forward in protecting koalas and their habitat in south-west Sydney.

As the regions dedicated koala care centre, we see firsthand the impact that habitat loss has on native animals like koalas. Connected, protected areas like this help ensure our koala population can move, breed and survive safely in the wild.

Associate Professor Annabelle Olsson, Hospital Director of our Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital says: "The WHCH welcomes the protection of this highly valuable corridor of land which is prime koala habitat. Many of the koalas seen at our hospital are victims of urbanisation which impacts their natural habitat and movements, leaving them vulnerable to vehicle strikes, dog attack and accidental relocation."

We commend NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and everyone involved in making this important progress for our region possible.

Read the ministerial media release: https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/new-national-park-to-protect-sydneys-largest-koala-population

📸 By Liz Arthur