Hospital admissions to Phillip Island Wildlife Clinic, Victoria, Australia, over a 10-year period, 2012–2021

Kate J. Dutton-Regester

doi:10.1071/ZO23047

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Previous Contents Vol 71(4)

Hospital admissions to Phillip Island Wildlife Clinic, Victoria, Australia, over a 10-year period, 2012–2021

Kate J. Dutton-Regester

^A ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: k.duttonregester@uq.edu.au

Handling Editor: Paul Cooper

Australian Journal of Zoology 71, ZO23047 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO23047

Submitted: 1 December 2023 Accepted: 26 February 2024 Published: 21 March 2024

© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Wildlife clinics play a critical role in safeguarding the well-being and survival of diverse animal species, but their admissions data are also valuable for investigating threats and challenges impacting local wildlife. This study examines 10 years of admissions data from the Phillip Island Wildlife Clinic in Victoria, Australia, to identify species, primary causes, outcomes, and temporal trends of clinic admissions. Avian species constitute the majority of admissions (64.5%), with sea and water birds being the most frequently admitted group. Motor vehicle accidents, injuries of unknown cause, and orphaning are the dominant causes of admission for birds and mammals. Car strikes are the leading cause of admission for land birds, land mammals, macropods, and turtles. Orphaning exhibits a seasonal pattern, with a higher number of cases in spring. Overall, 59.1% of admissions resulted in mortality, with causes related to trauma showing significantly higher mortality risks than others. The findings emphasise the impact of tourism on wildlife populations and the urgent need for targeted conservation strategies on Phillip Island.

Keywords: admissions, Australian wildlife, conservation, endangered species, hospital admission, mortality, Phillip Island, wildlife.

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