The Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is the North Coast’s first and only all-species wildlife hospital.
Conceived and launched by vets Dr Stephen Van Mil and Dr Evan Kosack, Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is a registered charity and not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital provides dedicated, expert veterinarian services to wildlife, free of charge.
Based at the nature-based tourism attraction Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Knockrow, New South Wales, Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is the North Coast’s only all-species wildlife hospital licensed by the Veterinary Practitioners Board of NSW. Equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, the veterinary hospital operates inside a custom-built, semi-trailer, making it Australia’s only Mobile Wildlife Hospital, licensed by the Veterinary Practitioners Board.
Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital Mission Statement:
Our mission is to conserve, protect and ensure positive welfare outcomes for Australian wildlife through treatment, rehabilitation, research and education. Everything we do is underpinned by important principles of ethics and animal welfare.
Meet Matilda
Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital operates from within a full-sized, custom-built semi-trailer, affectionately known as Matilda through a public naming competition. She can be transported to the scene of a natural disaster such as a bushfire, flood, mass stranding or oil spill affecting wildlife on a large scale. Members of the public and licensed wildlife carers can bring injured, sick and orphaned animals in their care to Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital for treatment and care.
Since 2020 we have treated over 7,000 wildlife patients.
Experienced, expert wildlife veterinarians.
Our team of wildlife specialist training veterinarians and vet nurses are led by our Foundation Veterinarian Dr Bree Talbot and our full-time veterinarian Dr Chantal Whitten. The team work tirelessly to treat native wildlife patients that deserve dedicated and specialist care. Treating all-species enhances our ability to make a difference to native species, no matter their taxa.
Help Good Humans Save Wildlife.
Every donation over $2 is fully tax-deductible and goes directly toward sustaining lifesaving veterinary services for Australian wildlife.
Annual Funding Requirements
1.5m
Help us make a difference for wildlie
Our Affiliate organisations #FortheWildlife
Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is a registered business of Wildlife Recovery Australia Ltd (WRA) a national organisation specialised in owning and operating wildlife hospitals, rehabilitation centres and specialist sanctuaries. WRA is chaired by former Secretary to the Treasury, economist, public policy expert and passionate wildlife conservationist Dr Ken Henry AC.
Other WRA organisations:
Watch some of our patient stories on our YouTube Channel
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![Coastal Carpet Python treated by The Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital]()
Coastal Carpet Python
Dr Bree Talbot explains the expert care provided to a coastal carpet python that had been struck by a car. Being hit by a car is the most common reason for wildlife patients to be admitted to The Wildlife Hospital.
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![Osprey treated by The Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital]()
Peter the Osprey
Many of the hospital's patients are seabirds and raptors like this Eastern Osprey. The osprey suffered eye trauma after being hit by a car. For birds of prey, eyesight is vital for hunting and survival. Watch this patients story.
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![Red Necked Wallaby being treated by The Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital]()
Phoenix the Wallaby
Phoenix the Red-necked wallaby was orphaned after his mother was killed in an impact collision with a car. Luckily, volunteer wildlife carer and vet nurse Maddy has lots of experience giving tender loving care to injured macropods.
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![Stan the Wedgetail Eagle]()
Stan the Wedge Tail Eagle
A collaborative story of the rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and release of Stan, a Wedge-tailed eagle rescued and brought to Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital by the Moore family from Stanthorpe.
We are proud members of the Northern Rivers Wildlife Network
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