Caring for Australia's Sick & Injured Wildlife

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Caring for Australia's Sick Injured Wildlife
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• Since Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was started
  in 1947 by Alex Griffiths, caring for sick and
  injured Australian wildlife has been one of the
  park's key areas of focus. Griffiths, who started
  feeding the local lorikeets because they were
  destroying his flowers, was a beekeeper and
  gardener, but soon became the founder of what is
  one of the largest collections of Australian
  wildlife in the world.

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• The Sanctuary originally started as a place for
  birds, but the name changed to include wildlife
  in 1995 as a way to better reflect what was on
  display there. While thousands of tourists and
  locals visit the Sanctuary each year to get up
  close and personal with the local wildlife, one
  of the leading attractions is the Currumbin
  Wildlife Hospital, where more than 8000 wildlife
  patients have been admitted and over 50,000 have
  been treated and released back into the wild.

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The Wildlife Hospital
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• Despite the fact that the veterinarians and
  other staff at the Sanctuary's hospital are
  working to protect the native wildlife, the
  hospital doesn't currently receive any consistent
  or continuous government funding. Instead, the
  hospital provides free care for injured and sick
  wildlife and is operated on funds received from
  individual donors and corporations.

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• In addition to helping local wildlife, what's
  so amazing about the hospital is that it gives
  visitors the chance to watch the veterinarians
  and other hospital staff in action. Through large
  windows on one side of the hospital, visitors can
  watch sick and injured wildlife receive
  treatments like surgeries, x-rays and other
  procedures. This is a great opportunity for
  anyone who's interested in becoming a
  veterinarian!

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Other Park Highlights
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• While a trip to the Sanctuary isn't complete
  without a peek at the hospital, there are tonnes
  of things to see and do here. Whether you love
  birds, reptiles, bizarre animals or huge
  saltwater crocodiles, you will discover all these
  things and more, at the Sanctuary. Twice each
  day, visitors have the opportunity to feed
  beautiful lorikeets, the birds that were the
  reason for the Sanctuary's founding.

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• There are tree top adventures, segway safaris,
  a new conservation trail, and even croc feedings.
  See one of the exciting shows, like the
  Aboriginal dance or free flight bird shows. See
  an Aussie sheep shearing or learn something new
  at Dr. Do-Lots' fun and educational show. There's
  so much to explore that one trip just might not
  be enough!

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• If you have the chance to visit the Gold Coast,
  don't forget to plan a day at the Sanctuary.