Photo & story Eve Jeffery
There is exciting news if you’re a koala, tawny frogmouth, snake or any Australian native animal species as a new veterinary service – exclusively for wildlife – is opening up in Byron Bay.
Lennox Head vet Evan Kosack.
Housed in a custom-built, fully-equipped, solar-powered truck, the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital aims to start work in early May.
Lennox Head vet Evan Kosack says this is a project that has been years in the making and it is finally coming to fruition this year.
‘The hospital will be run out of our clinic here at Lennox Head in the interim while we get the mobile unit completely sorted out.
‘Once the vehicle, a portable semi-trailer, is completely fitted out, it will be on-site on some land that has been given to us on the outskirts of Byron Bay’.
Dr Kosack says the hospital is being built from the ground up by a company who specialises in this type of portable facility. ‘The facility will have internal plumbing and IT and everything else needed. It will be a self-sufficient unit.
‘The cost of the semi and the set up will be around $750,000 all up with state-of-the-art surgical, ultra-sound and x-ray equipment. We hope to eventually have a bricks-and-mortar building associated with it on-site for larger equipment’.
Dr Kosack says the hospital will be a professionally run not-for-profit organisation, with an employed full-time vet and specialist staff. He also says there will be complete transparency as to where donated funds have been spent.
Currently, there is very little help for injured wildlife between Byron, Currumbin and Port Macquarie, and Currumbin is over capacity as there was a spike in injured wildlife after the summer fires. They are very happy a new hospital is opening.
Vet Dr Stephen van Mil, who also works at the Lennox clinic, is steering the group until it is up and running. ‘He’s setting up the hospital and doing all the leg-work,’ says Dr Kosack.
You can find out more, or donate to the hospital at byronbaywildlifehospital.org.
Oh my this is such great news! very very exciting. Currumbin Wildlife Hospital is really stretched to their max capacity. I wonder if it will be servicing our Tweed Valley Wildlife rescues as well… It’s quite a long drive up to CWH and it’s in QLD, and we should really be keeping our wildlife in NSW.
Great work and good timing for Wildlife Dr Evan Kosak!!!
Just a note that Dr Evan Kosak was the Vet who greatly assisted the late Lance Ferris and Australian Seabird Rescue Ballina.
This vet has retrieved many hooks from the stomachs of Pelicans and other seabirds.
Thanks Evan Kosak!!!
Thanks so much! We love our wonderful Earth Mother kidlings. They deserve to be treated with every care & so much love. Really appreciate it.
Love & blessings
WOW! Thank you Evan and team for this. Legends!
While it’s fantastic I have to wonder at the location? Within a few steps of Currumbin, why not at Yamba which is approx halfway to Port Macquarie? It just seems it’s all congested in a tiny piece of Northern NSW on the doorstep of South East Queensland.
So what’s new mate
Vitality vet care in Bangalow is already up and running. Has a fantastic vet with masters qualifications and vast experience in wildlife care. In a up to date clinic that is set up to treat a variety of wildlife.
Big thanks to Megan Kearney for all the work she dose in the care of wildlife in our community and the resources she has offered and continues to offer.
I volunteer for one of our local wildlife rescue groups, and deeply appreciate the assistance and care we receive from Currumbin Wildlife Hospital and from many of our local Vets in the Northern Rivers. I was impressed to learn that many of these Vets fund their wildlife work from their own pockets. This invaluable contribution shows such genuine care for our wildlife.
I am concerned at the comment in this article that “Currently, there is very little help for injured wildlife between Byron, Currumbin and Port Macquarie”, as that statement undervalues the daily assistance and expertise we receive from our many different Vets in our region, including Dr. Evan Kosak.
Epona V Winter has already mentioned Dr. Megan Kearney from Vitality Vet Care in Bangalow, and her Masters qualifications in Conservation Medicine and dedicated help for local wildlife. Over the years, Dr. Megan has assisted me with many injured wildlife cases, and her level of care and expertise is outstanding. We have many other local Vets who also offer their time and resources to help our injured wildlife.
On behalf of all of them, I want to set the record straight and say that we do have an amazing team of Vets, Vet nurses and wildlife volunteers across the Northern Rivers, who each play an invaluable role in assisting our injured wildlife.