AWhen Warren heard a thump while driving, he ignored it. A bounced twig, the Australian thought. Ten kilometers later he took a break – and couldn’t believe his eyes: A koala was clinging to the front of his car’s radiator grille and looking at him anxiously. Its impact must have caused the rumbling, thought Warren, who was now annoyed that he hadn’t braked and checked immediately.
Luckily he did the right thing afterwards: Warren called the Koala Hospital Port Macquarie. A good half hour later, a rescue team from the veterinary clinic was on site, and the helpers took the grille koala to the hospital. He is one of about 250 animals that are brought here every year.
The animal hospital in Port Macquarie, 400 kilometers north of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, is Australia’s oldest and most famous koala hospital – and definitely worth a visit. Preferably, of course, without hitting a koala first.
Because what happened to Warren can also happen to tourists on a road trip in Australia. Koalas live exclusively on the leaves of special eucalyptus trees – and they are often just across the street. And so, along with loss of habitat, diseases and dog attacks, traffic accidents are among the greatest threats to these cute-looking animals.
Koalas are not bears
In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified koalas as “Endangered” on the International Red List. During daily tours of the hospital, visitors learn about the koalas, which are not bears but marsupials. You are not allowed to pet them, but you can observe them up close.
What the local koala protectors are doing is impressive. “Our patient admission is organized almost like that in a clinic for people,” says Susanne Scheuter, one of the assistants. In order to be able to work here permanently, the Swiss woman emigrated to Australia with her husband. “All basic information about the animal is noted.” Also the double name given to all koalas in the clinic. The one from the grille is now called the Kempsey Wazza.
An injured koala in the hospital. Volunteers take care of the animals here
Quelle: Getty Images/Getty Images AsiaPac/Nathan Edwards
“The first name always stands for the place where it was found,” explains Scheuter, “the finder can give the second name if they want.” Wazza is a typically Australian short form of Warren, the car driver.
The male name doesn’t quite fit, as it turns out only after the “baptism”: Wazza is a female. The accident koala still keeps its name and now clings shyly to the tree trunk in one of the 50 hospital enclosures.
Some animals stay forever
The clinic also offers tourists daily guided tours where the animals are fed and the guides introduce them to you in more detail. “Barrington Xavier has an illness caused by chlamydia,” explains Scheuter today, “we are currently researching a vaccine against it.” Xavier, a male, can hardly see and must therefore remain in the hospital forever because he cannot survive in the wild would.
Zenani, the koala in the enclosure next door, is also a long-term patient – he survived the bush fires, which were deadly for many koalas, but no longer have any claws because they don’t grow back from the burn injuries. So no chance for him to climb trees and cling.
Please drive slowly: Koala warning sign on an Australian country road
Source: Stephan Brünjes
The forest fires of 2020 alone have destroyed an estimated 190,000 square kilometers of bush forest across Australia – more than four times the area of Switzerland.
30,000 to 60,000 koalas died in the process – the figures for this differ as widely as those for animals still living in the wild: the University of Sydney estimates 330,000, 120,000 to 300,000 means the University of Queensland. The animal protection organization Koala Foundation, on the other hand, only assumes a maximum of 50,000 to 80,000 wild specimens.
A couple founded the hospital
Koala rescuer Susanne Scheuter doesn’t think in such dimensions; she is proud of every animal that she can release back into the wild – after all, two-thirds of the hospital patients. The hospital, which was founded in 1973 by a married couple and still specializes only in koalas, has only three permanent employees in addition to the clinic director. Animal treatment and nursing is only possible because 175 volunteers are involved every day.
Edda Gerdau, who emigrated from Hamburg in 1965, has been doing this for almost 60 years, Kjell has only been there a few months. Two volunteers are dragging a koala out of the intensive care unit and into an enclosure. The laundry basket with the animal in it weighs ten kilos.
This koala is called Anwen and was injured in a bush fire
Quelle: picture alliance/dpa/Port Macquarie Hastings Council
At the same time, the Leaf Collectors go out and collect the koalas’ favorite food and stomach every day: eucalyptus leaves. “But not just any,” says Scheuter, “there are about 900 different eucalyptus species in Australia, but koalas only eat about 50 of them.”
Therefore, the collectors are notified of their orders on clipboards; they have to be very careful about what they bring with them from parks, the hospital’s own eucalyptus plantation and private gardens whose owners support the hospital.
Shady baby food
And what is done when baby koalas come to the clinic? These so-called joeys cannot eat eucalyptus leaves until they are three months old. “You receive Pap, a mash that we puree from the faeces of older animals,” says Scheuter. She knows that doesn’t sound appetizing, “but that’s just nature”.
The joeys need this porridge for three to four days because it acts as a kind of natural vaccination so that small koalas can tolerate the leaves. Ocean Drive Pixie, for example, was nursed back in this way – released as a 195 gram foundling koala, it grew into a survivable animal within a few months.
Aside from road accidents, fire is one of the biggest threats to koalas. This example also has a burn
Quelle: picture alliance/dpa/MAXPPP
Many visitors would like to cuddle the koalas in the hospital. This is allowed in the state of Queensland, but forbidden here in New South Wales – too stressful for the animals.
Maybe that’s why some koala fans are hoping for the possible adoption in the hospital? “Some get it completely wrong, they call us and ask how they should redesign their apartment for the adopted koala, which will surely be delivered soon,” says Susanne Scheuter and laughs: “No, the adoption is of course only one virtual, where donations are used to specifically support an animal in the clinic.”
Money that the Koala Hospital can really use, because so far it has been financed solely from admission, donations and very rarely an inheritance. One million dollars was the highest single amount so far. But even small amounts help the koalas – and of course caution, especially when driving.
Source: Infographic WORLD
tips and information
how to get there
For example with Qantas (qantas.com) or Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com) to Sydney, then by domestic flight to Port Macquarie.
Where is a good place to live?
From the family-friendly resort “Club Wyndham Flynns Beach” on the beach it is 500 meters to the Koala Hospital, double rooms from 102 euros (wyndhamhotels.com). The resort “Mantra The Observatory” is also within walking distance to the koalas right on the sea, sometimes you can see dolphins jumping out of the water, double rooms from 153 euros (mantra.com.au).
koala help
The Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie is open to visitors, and daily feeding tours allow you to see the animals up close. With a donation or koala sponsorship (also as a gift) you support the animals. The International Volunteer Program is currently on hold but is set to resume soon, koalahospital.org.au
Further information
de.sydney.com/destinations/north-coast