Wildcare Australia

The organization was originally formed as the Australian Koala Hospital Association Incorporated in late 1993 by Dr Jonathon Hanger. It became an Incorporated Association and registered charity in 1994 and is listed on the Register of Environmental Organizations.

In June 1996 after the government strongly urged the wildlife carers in its group NAVOS (Native Animal Volunteer Service) to become independent, three wildlife carers (Eleanor Hanger, Gail Gipp and Sharon White) decided to form their own volunteer carer’s wildlife rescue operation called “WILDCARE”. They started a 24-hour wildlife emergency telephone service in South-east Queensland. The geographical area covered rapidly expanded, reaching from the NSW border, west to Boonah and north to the Logan River. A group ‘umbrella’ rescue permit was issued by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service enabling current registered Wildcare rehabilitators to be able to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned native animals for release back into natural habitat. Both Eleanor and Gail are still actively involved in WILDCARE as Head Carers.
In 2008 the members of the organization elected to formally change its name to Wildcare Australia Inc.

Our Objectives

The aims and objectives of Wildcare Australia Inc are to:-

rescue and care for sick, injured, orphaned and displaced native wildlife with the intention of returning them to the wild.
provide training to volunteers in all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation.
promote the protection of wildlife by maintaining and re-establishing habitat, and by controlling feral and domestic animals.
advise the community on solutions to wildlife problems.
raise public awareness of Australia’s unique wildlife and its diverse habitat requirements through community talks and education programmes.
operate an efficient wildlife organization in South-east Queensland which can be contacted at any time by any person in the community needing assistance with the care or rescue of native wildlife.
publish a newsletter every three months and distribute it to current members and sponsors.

Licensed Wildlife Care Organization

WILDCARE is licensed by the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) and holds a group Rehabilitation Permit. This Permit allows those WILDCARE members who have completed necessary training to care for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife for the purposes of rehabilitating them and returning them back to the wild.

Education

WILDCARE takes pride in the comprehensive training program that it has developed since its inception in 1996.

The WILDCARE Education Program has been developed extensively and includes training sessions on most species of wildlife and other environmental topics. Our training programs are open to all volunteer wildlife rehabilitators and other people interested in wildlife including veterinarians, veterinary nurses, zoo keepers and parks and wildlife service employees.

For a more comprehensive overview of the WILDCARE Education Program please visit our Training section or email our Education Coordinator on education@wildcare.org.au

Community Talks

Since 1994, WILDCARE has delivered informative talks to local schools and community groups about native animals of South-east Queensland, conservation issues and ways in which the general public can help the environment every day.

Awards

WILDCARE has received two ‘Golden Gecko Awards’ for its outstanding contribution to conservation. These awards were presented by the Gold Coast Hinterland Environmental Council (GECKO) as the peak environmental body on the Gold Coast. Receiving these awards was a great achievement for WILDCARE.

Research

WILDCARE has been involved in a number of research projects since its inception including:-

The ‘Wildcare Koala Relocation Project’ which was initiated to assess the viability of relocating wild koalas from threatened areas on the Gold Coast to secure habitat.
The ‘Wildcare Koala Monitoring Project’ which was instrumental in studying relocated wild koalas that were released in prime habitat on the Gold Coast.
The ‘Wildcare Platypus Project’ which provided a veterinary consultancy service, assisting zoologists researching the health of platypus on the Gold Coast.
The “Pine Creek State Forest Project” looked at the affect of forest logging on the ecology of the local koala population in Coffs Harbour. Dr Jon Hanger and Dr Jeff McKee provided the veterinary support for a PhD in this Project.
The “Sanctuary Cove Kangaroo Management Plan” which was instigated to help control the population of Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the Sanctuary Cove region.

Our volunteers remain actively involved in a number of research projects being conducted through the University of Queensland and other research facilities.