Shayne the Koala Joey

Age: 10 months

Weight: 900gms

Clinging to a plush toy in the absence of his mum, Shayne the koala joey is just one of the many innocent victims of this year’s Trauma Season; the busiest, most confronting time of year at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.

Hit by a car in a 70km per hour speed zone, Shayne’s mum was unlucky; her trauma injuries were severe and she was killed instantly. When rescuers arrived at the scene, they noticed she was lactating; a sure sign that her joey wasn’t far away.

Only 9 months old, Shayne was riding on his mum’s back at the time of the accident and was thrown off from the impact. Poor Shayne was left to fend for himself, and that’s exactly what he tried to do. Shayne was found about 20 meters from his mum being chased by crows.

Thankfully, Shayne has no injuries as a result of the accident, instead, he’s dealing with the loss of his mum and the vital life lessons he needs to learn in order to become an independent, wild koala. As temperatures rise, so too do patient admissions for injuries caused by trauma. The warmer months of the year (namely August to February) see breeding wildlife on the move, making them more vulnerable to injury during the booming holiday season.

Whether they’ve been hit by cars, attacked by domestic pets or orphaned and left to fend for themselves, our wildlife deserve a fighting chance at survival, and we’re here to give it to them!

Thanks to Minnik’s sponsorship, we’re able to save the lives of those in need, just like Shayne!

Call the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital on 1300 369 652 for all wildlife emergencies.