Wildlife
Wildlife hazards
Some of the local wildlife, such as snakes, foxes and puffer fish, are pet hazards.
Injured wildlife
Local wildlife include possums, parrots, lorikeets, kangaroos, wallabies, owls, blue tongue lizards, magpies, penguins, pelicans, swans and other sea birds.
Living close to us, these animals sometimes get into trouble.
- If you see injured wildlife, call the clinic or 1300 BADGAR (1300 223427). BADGAR Wildlife Rescue Hobsons Bay also have an exellent website with detailed and useful information about wildlife in our area and what you can do to help.
- We treat wildlife at no charge and pass the animals onto qualified wildlife carers.
Wildlife rescue example - Lucky Giles
Lucky Giles (pictured on right) has had a very adventurous life for a young swan at Newport Lakes.
He was orphaned when his mother was killed in a dog attack.
Local Wildlife Victoria rescuer, and Hobsons Bay Veterinary Clinic nurse, Mandy Hall found Giles with numerous fish hooks caught along his back and wing. He was unable to fly or move and had not been able to eat. We gave him first aid and removed the fish hooks. Lucky Giles was then taken to a wildlife carer for six weeks to recuperate. After a good recovery he was reintroduced to his flock at Newport Lakes.
Unfortunately this wasn’t the happy ending everybody hoped for.
He was found a few weeks later with a broken wing caused by a dog attack.
Again he was brought to us for first aid but this time he needed surgery to fix his wing. Lucky Giles had a general anaesthetic and a pin inserted in his wing bones.
The photo shows Lucky Giles recovering after the surgery.
Our Clinic voluntarily provides most of the first aid care for wildlife in the Hobsons Bay Council area.
Donations to Hobsons Bay wildlife fund can be made at the clinic.
