30/11/2025
The Animal Referral Hospital Wollongong recently came to the aid of a very unique and precious patient from Symbio Wildlife Park in Helensburgh. "Moderna" the Little Penguin had been battling a fungal respiratory infection for several months and was thankfully making a slow but steady recovery under the guidance of her veterinary team. However, “Moderna” needed the "all-clear" that her infection had resolved before she was placed back with her colony. The Australian little penguin Eudyptula novaehollandiae, one of 18 penguin species in the world, is the only Penguin native to Australia and can be found on islands and some mainland areas around the coastline from Perth around the southern end of Australia and up to Coffs Harbour.
Little penguins are very social birds and rely heavily on behavioural interactions amongst each other for their mental and physical wellbeing, so it was crucial to “Moderna's” welfare to be able to assimilate her back with the group as quickly as possible. And that's where the ARH Wollongong stepped in to help! Veterinarian Dr Ashley Sykes and Veterinary Nurse Aimee Fuller performed a CT on an anaesthetised “Moderna” using state-of-the art equipment at the Animal Referral Hospital in Wollongong. The delicate procedure went extremely well, and the results indicated that “Moderna” had no active infection and was safe to go back with her colony, where she is now happily thriving with all her fellow penguins.
