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Australian Wildlife Hospital's miracle koala returns to his real habitat |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 22 September 2005 |
The vets and nurses at The Australian Wildlife Hospital faced their
biggest challenge yet when bus driver Steve Janson arrived at 1am on
April 27, 2004, with a two-year-old koala who was severely battered,
bruised and bleeding after being hit by a car on the Bruce Highway.
The very first koala ever to be treated at The Australian Wildlife
Hospital, Steve was fundamental to the treatment of the subsequent 600
koalas cared for at the hospital since his arrival.
| Jon releases Steve back to the wild after he was hit by a car
and spent 17 months at Aujstralia Wildlife Hospital
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After 17 months of treatment and care, Steve was released last Thursday back into his natural habitat in the Caboolture Shire.
Upon arrival in April, hospital staff assessed Steve's extensive injuries. Hospital Manager Gail Gipp said they didn't take into consideration the cost involved to treat the koala.
"We didn't look at how much it would cost to treat the koala or how much time and effort it would take - we only took into consideration the well-being of the individual," Gail said.
"If we thought we had a chance of saving him, enabling him to return to the wild then we did. This is certainly the case with Steve.
The hospital's head wildlife veterinarian Jon Hanger had successfully treated the same injuries that Steve was suffering from, but had never before had to treat them all at once and on the same animal.
The treatment being performed on Steve sparked the interest of other veterinarians who came from far and wide to witness the medical breakthrough.
| | Steve after his operations. |
In total the treatment cost over $7000. Steve's successful rehabilitation is a credit to not only to his world-class treatment by the best in the business, but also to his own gentle nature.
It is rare for a wild Koala to be so accepting of people, and the treatment given as Steve was. Steve's release brings on a range of emotions for his vets and carers.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 22 September 2005 )
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Range News 2005 - ON 
