A three-year-old male koala is set to be released after a nine-month recovery following a suspected car strike in South-West Sydney. Rescued with fractures in his right humerus and left clavicle, he received specialised wildlife veterinary care at the University of Sydney's Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital, where hospital staff and local koala rehabilitators guided his recovery.

Each week, the wildlife hospital, located on our Camden Campus, admits dozens of native animals injured or displaced by urbanisation, habitat loss, and other impacts of human activity and climate change.

Through its ongoing conservation efforts, the hospital gives injured wildlife a second chance at life while helping to protect Australia’s biodiversity.

Swift rescue and first response

In November 2024, a member of the public spotted a 9.75 kg large adult male koala crossing Hansens Road in Minto on the edge of known koala habitat in Sydney’s south-west. Suspecting the koala had been struck by a car, Sydney Wildlife Rescue volunteers responded quickly. With the help of a local tree climber, they encouraged the koala to safely descend from a large tree it had climbed after crossing the road.

Despite the koala's injuries, he had climbed the tree with ease, showing remarkable resilience. Thanks to the rescuers’ swift action, he was transported safely to the Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital in Camden for urgent, specialised wildlife care.

Dedicated wildlife hospital care

At the wildlife hospital, the veterinary team gave the koala a full health assessment, revealing two fractures: one in his right humerus and the other in his left clavicle.

Veterinarians carefully evaluated treatment options and consulted other koala specialists, before applying a splint and bandage using a specialised technique to promote healing of the fractured bones.

During his initial hospitalisation, the koala spent 15 days at the wildlife hospital, where the team monitored him daily. Veterinarians, including hospital director Associate Professor Annabelle Olsson, Dr Aditi Sriram, Dr Sarah Foo, and Dr Cynthia Chen, led his care, supported by the veterinary nursing team, which provided pain management, fluid therapy, bandaging, diagnostic imaging, and other treatments. 

The staff tracked his progress through physical exams, scat counts, feeding observations, and neurological assessments, while providing freshly harvested eucalypt leaves each day.

A team effort

After his discharge from the wildlife hospital, Sydney Wildlife Rescue koala rehabilitators Rhonda Pascoe and Tracey Faith continued to guide his recovery at a bushland rehabilitation facility, moving him into an enclosure with low forks that gently encouraged him to rebuild strength in his injured limbs.

By March, his strength had improved enough for him to move into a larger enclosure with climbing structures, where he practised climbing and steadily regained his mobility.

By June, he was making good progress, but vertical climbing remained a challenge. To help, his rehabilitators added angled tree branches to his enclosure, creating ramps to the larger upright trunks that allowed him to build muscle and move safely.

Throughout his recovery, he returned to the hospital for follow-up checks and ongoing support. The veterinary team conducted health reassessments, diagnostic imaging, pathology testing, and bandage changes, while carefully monitoring both his healing fractures and his gains in strength and mobility.

Coordinating koala and wildlife care

Liz Arthur, the wildlife hospital’s Koala and Wildlife Carer Coordinator, played a key role in managing the koala’s care. She supported his rehabilitation team by visiting the rehabilitation site regularly, closely monitoring the koala’s progress, and sharing updates to the hospital’s clinical team. 

The $4.5M funding grant that established the hospital as the region’s dedicated koala care centre helped to create Liz’s position in 2024. After a 35-year career as a senior veterinary nurse at Taronga Conservation Society Australia's wildlife hospital, Liz now works alongside veterinary staff at the Wildlife Health and Consrvation Hospital coordinating the team effort that supports the rehabilitation and safe release of native wildlife.