AUSTRALIA Zoo Wildlife Hospital is currently receiving over 200 patients a week as ‘trauma season’ begins. The season is brought on by warmer weather, which results in increased wildlife movement and subsequent vehicle strikes, along with disease and domestic pet attacks. “Since the start of trauma season, we’ve received 146 koalas in just six weeks, which is a grim reality of how tough these beautiful animals have it in the wild.”
Donald the Koala (pictured) was found near a fuel station in Doonan after being hit by a car. He suffered from severe face and neurological trauma, and a fracture to his left foot causing him to limp while attempting to walk or climb. On top of surgery to treat the injuries he is also receiving specialised treatment in the state-of-the-art hyperbaric chamber, situated in the Wildlife Hospital’s new ICU Unit, the Perry MacFarlane Intensive Care Ward. Donated by the Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine (HVM), the hyperbaric chamber is used to increase the speed of healing by increasing global tissue oxygenation in the patient.