Australian Wildlife Health Centre
The Australian Wildlife Health Centre treats more than 2000 sick and injured native animals every year. It’s also an important training centre for wildlife veterinarians.
As such, it’s a vital service to the Healesville – and the Victorian – community.
The hospital team also conducts cutting-edge research into conservation medicine, clinical wildlife medicine and wildlife rehabilitation, and plays an important role in wildlife disease surveillance.
Visit the wildlife hospital
You can visit the Australian Wildlife Health Centre and meet our vets and nurses, as they treat sick, injured or orphaned wildlife in need of care.
You’ll hear the stories of our patients as they go on their journey from rescue, treatment and recovery, to release to the wild.
In the daily action of the emergency room, you can observe surgery and meet recovering patients. Try your hand at amazing interactive activities such as radio-tracking or heart-rate monitoring.
Our multimedia touch screens provide in-depth information about anatomy, nutrition, care, rehabilitation and conservation.
Most of all, you’ll be inspired by the work our expert team do every day, at the forefront of wildlife care and welfare.
Research at the Australian Wildlife Health Centre
We provide vital veterinary support for Healesville Sanctuary’s threatened species conservation programs and conduct cutting-edge wildlife conservation research. We are also an important centre for wildlife disease surveillance.
Guidelines for wildlife rehabilitation
The Centre has joined with the Department of Sustainability’s Wildlife Management Unit to develop a ‘how to’ guide for wildlife rehabilitation in Victoria.
Guidelines will include information on how to rescue, handle, treat, euthanase, house and release injured or sick wildlife. The guide will be distributed to wildlife shelters, veterinarians and wildlife managers, to improve the welfare of injured wildlife in care across the state.
Volunteer to care for wildlife
There's a whole family of people dedicated to wildlife care in Victoria. Thousands of wildlife carers volunteer their time to rescue and care for injured and orphaned wildlife. The rescue and rehabilitation process could not happen without this dedicated group of people.
Contact us
Healesville Sanctuary
Badger Creek Road
Healesville Victoria 3777
General animal enquiries
Tel: (03) 5957 2800
Fax: (03) 5957 2870
Email: hs@zoo.org.au
Injured wildlife enquiries
From 10:00am to 12:00noon and 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Tel: (03) 5957 2829
Fax: (03) 5957 2860
After hours emergency
Help for Wildlife
Tel: 0417 380 687
Wildlife Rescue and Information Network
Tel: 0419 356 433
Wildlife Victoria
Tel: 13000 94535