Treating patients @Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

As we welcome the New Year and bid a farewell to 2023, we reflect on the momentous events that defined our year and solidified our pledge to protect and celebrate the wonders of wildlife. It's been a year of untamed adventure, heartwarming rescues, sad goodbyes and unwavering commitment to the conservation of our planet's most magnificent creatures.

Today, we share both a resilient journey and a sombre farewell of a much-loved patient treated at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Luke, a koala who touched the lives of many during his time within our koala rehabilitation facility.

Four years ago, Luke's story began as a helpless joey, rescued from tragedy after his mother was struck by a train. The dedicated team at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital provided around-the-clock care, warmth, and nourishment, ensuring his survival. The second stage of Luke’s rehabilitation journey saw him released into the hands of a specialised wildlife carer where, under her watchful eye, he grew healthily, and several months later he was released successfully into his natural habitat.

Recently, Luke returned to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, bearing the marks of severe trauma to his front limb. It is suspected that he was caught in barbed wire fencing. The injury had left his bone exposed, and despite the best efforts of our team, the severity of his injuries proved insurmountable.

Luke's heartbreaking story serves as a poignant reminder of the threats faced by wildlife. With Trauma Season in full swing, the hospital is tirelessly working to save lives, admitting upwards of 600 patients a month.

The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital is one of the biggest rehabilitation facilities in the world and Australia’s busiest koala hospital, achieving monumental milestones in koala conservation. The iconic yet endangered koala continues to face threats such as collisions with vehicles, domestic pet attacks, disease, and habitat loss. We have treated more than 11,000 koalas since opening our doors and are working with researchers to find a cure for deadly diseases such as chlamydia, an illness rapidly wiping out the population.

Right now, we need to come together to fight for the future of wildlife, natural habitats and ultimately us, humans. We are here for wildlife, now and into the future.

Your kind support makes this possible.

Steve Irwin spent his life working hard to protect wildlife and wild places. His message was simple in that we don't own the planet Earth, we belong to it, and we must share it with our wildlife.

Thank you for helping us continue Steve’s legacy and continue to make a difference for the future of our wildlife.