Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is the North Coast’s first all-species wildlife hospital, and Australia’s largest mobile wildlife hospital
01/12/2025
Sibling love 🥰 👥
These adorable little Crested Pigeon chicks were recently seen by our veterinary team, after their nest was blown out of a tree 💨.
Fortunately, neither sustained any serious injuries! After a brief stay in hospital 🏥 they were sent into care with Tania, one of the amazing carers with , and as you can see in the last video- they’re thriving! 😍 Amazing work Tania! 👏
📲 If you find injured, unwell or orphaned wildlife, please call one of our wonderful wildlife rescue organisations, or bring it in to our hospital headquarters in Lennox Head ♥️
27/11/2025
This beautiful Eastern Barn Owl came into our care with eye trauma, and needed urgent treatment at our Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital. 🦉💛
It was then transported to our Byron Bay Raptor Recovery Centre — where our state-of-the-art aviary helps raptors rebuild flight fitness and strength before release.🦅
But transporting patients between our facilities currently relies on staff and volunteers using their own cars 🚗. It’s not ideal for the animals, and it creates a barrier for volunteers who want to help but can’t commit their personal vehicles.
✨We’ve now raised $27,047 — over 50% of our $50,000 goal for our Wheels for Wildlife campaign!🙏Thank you to everyone who has donated to our campaign so far!
Please donate to help us give the gift of life to wildlife who can’t help themselves- https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0qnDT0
25/11/2025
Leave some 💚 for our brave little colony!
Last week, a massive collaborative effort was undertaken to treat, reunite and place into care a colony of 34 Eastern Broad-nosed Bats, after the branch they were nesting in was cut down 😔.
The colony consisted of numerous adults and pups, all of whom were given a thorough health-check with our veterinary team. Sadly, two pups passed away 💔, but the rest of the colony were incredibly and surprisingly unharmed!
Thanks to the incredible efforts of our local rescuers, a number of the bats were able to be reunited with their colony, and the rest were sent into care with an incredible team of vaccinated, trained and registered wildlife carers!♥️
⚠️ - please remember, if you find a bat (flying fox or microbat) that appears injured, unwell or orphaned, DO NOT TOUCH IT.
Immediately call you local wildlife rescue organisation who will send a vaccinated, trained and registered wildlife rescuer out to safely collect and transport the bat for medical attention.
If you or a pet have been bitten or scratched by a bat, seek immediate medical attention.
24/11/2025
Do Bush Stone-curlews win the award for most unimpressed look?😅
This adorable juvenile Bush Stone-curlew was recently treated by our amazing veterinary team after it was found with a severe limp ❤️🩹.
A full work-up revealed it had an infected puncture wound to its foot, which required stitching up and a course of antibiotics.💊
After some TLC in care with the wonderful Deb from , our sassy young patient was successfully released back into the wild and reunited with its family! Great work Deb!
We are truly grateful to have such dedicated, compassionate wildlife carers in the Northern Rivers- we could not do this work without you!♥️
🐦 If you would like to help our precious wildlife, consider becoming a registered, trained wildlife rescuer and carer. Contact your local wildlife rescue organisation for more information!
19/11/2025
The devastating reality of fishing equipment...
A beautiful Brahminy Kite was recently brought into our hospital after being found on a local beach. It had a treble hook impaled through its foot, which was attached to a lure with yet another treble hook, as well as an enormous mass of seaweed entangled.😔
The kite was severely compromised, weak, and had obviously been pulled underwater by the weight of the debris. As well as the impaled hook, the Brahminy Kite showed signs of respiration failure. Despite our veterinary team's best efforts, the decision was made on the basis of welfare to humanely euthanise the kite.💔
We would like to extend our deepest thanks to the many members of the public and amazing wildlife rescuers who undertook the enormous task of carefully and safely rescuing and transporting the Brahminy Kite to us. Your kindness, compassion and efforts ensured that our patient was safe and able to receive help as quickly as possible ❤️.
⚠️ Fishing hooks, lines, sinkers and lures cause devastating injuries not only to the intended wildlife they capture, but also to non-target species such as waterbirds, birds of prey, and other animals that access waterways.
Please 🙏 be mindful when fishing- consider barbless hooks which cause far less trauma and are easier to remove, never leave equipment unmonitored or discarded, and don't cut the line- always reel in completely and take it with you.
📲 If you accidentally entangle or hook an animal, please call Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue or your local wildlife rescue organisation for advice and assistance.
17/11/2025
Thank you 🙏 to everyone who has donated to our “Wheels for Wildlife” campaign so far — your kindness is already helping us move closer to putting our Rapid Response Ambulance on the road! 💚
Every donation — big or small — helps bring this life-saving vehicle closer to the animals who need it most.🐨
If you’re looking for a meaningful gift that saves lives this Christmas🎄, please consider supporting “Wheels for Wildlife”.
This adorable juvenile Eastern Water Dragon was brought into the hospital after a cat attack left it with puncture wounds to its chest 😔.
Fortunately our team were able to treat the wounds and after a few days in hospital, our little patient in now in care with a registered, trained wildlife carer from Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers to complete a course of antibiotics and heal before release! ♥️
⚠️ A reminder to please keep pets indoors unless in a secured yard or on a leash- we have seen an incredibly high number of wildlife patients recently due to pet dog and cat attacks.
📲 If you know or suspect your pet has been in contact with a wild animal, please call your local wildlife rescue organisation immediately. Many wounds can not easily be seen, particularly internal injuries. It is important that the animal receives medical attention as quickly as possible. It is also important to check your pets for signs of injuries and seek veterinary attention.
12/11/2025
We 💛 our pollinators!
We couldn't shine a spotlight on some of the incredible pollinators we treat at Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital for Australian Pollinator Week, without highlighting our vibrant and very sassy lorikeets! 🦜
Australia is home to 56 species of parrot, 7 of which are lorikeets?! 😍
Lorikeets feed primarily on nectar and pollen, using their specially-adapted tongues to draw out nectar and pollen from flowers. 🌺 They (unintentionally) transport pollen on their heads and necks, transferring it to other flowers as they move and feed!
⚠️ Every year, wildlife hospitals see thousands of lorikeets affected by a disease called Lorikeet Paralysis Syndrome (LPS). The exact cause of this disease is still not known, but it is fatal if not treated. Symptoms start with weakened muscles and loss of flight, followed by loss of blink and swallow, and eventually loss of ability to walk or move.
You can help lorikeets by:
🌱 Planting native species, particularly flowering species, in your garden and property
❌ Avoid use of barbed wire and netting, both of which causes horrific and often lethal injuries to wildlife
🐕 Be a responsible pet owner, keeping pets on a leash when out and about, not letting pets roam (particularly cats at night), and keeping pets away from wildlife at all times
📲 Save your local wildlife rescue organisation’s number in your phone and call if you find injured wildlife. Please DO NOT attempt to treat (including offering food or water- particularly to lorikeets suffering from LPS) or rehabilitate wildlife unless you are a trained, registered wildlife rescuer- it is illegal to do so and can result in serious health issues for wildlife.
11/11/2025
This Christmas, give a gift to native Australian animals — who can’t help themselves — and help us put “Wheels for Wildlife” on the road: a Rapid Response Wildlife Ambulance for our precious patients.
Every day, our staff and volunteers assist sick, injured and orphaned native animals, who regularly need to be transported between our veterinary hospital and rehabilitation facilities. Where every second matters, a purpose-built ambulance means:
🚨 Faster response
🚐 Safe transport
🩺 On-site treatment
💚 Better survival outcomes
We aim to raise $50,000 toward this vital vehicle. Every dollar brings it closer to the animals who need it most.
Your donation will help us save more lives — faster.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Our veterinarians have banded together to build and operate Australia’s Largest Mobile Wildlife Hospital. A Mobile Hospital dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of injured native Australian wildlife.
“Australia's bushfire crisis killed one billion native animals and highlighted the massive gap in facilities to rescue, treat and rehabilitate injured wildlife throughout the country,” said our CEO and Founder Dr Steve van Mil.
The fully equipped mobile hospital will operate from a custom-built semi-trailer based in the Northern Rivers NSW, and will be able travel throughout Australia to go where injured wildlife are in times of crisis. It is planned to be operational by early September 2020.
“Treating traumatised and injured native animals is a specialist field. Without specialists vets, nurses and the right equipment, rehabilitation and recovery is much less likely, putting the individual animal and full species at risk.”
Our crowdfunding campaign has launched https://chuffed.org/project/byronbaywildlifehospital and we need to raise $500,000 to operate the mobile hospital and facilitate the treatment and rehabilitation of an estimated 10,000 native animals in 2020-21.
There are a lot of resources required to do this, which is why we’re calling on the public to help us through a crowdfunding campaign and fundraising activities. The need and timing have never been greater.”
