Southern Cross Wildlife Service treats at least 3000 sick or injured native animals a year. Without the on-going support of Coregas, it would be difficult for the charity organisation to continue this critical work.
Each month, on time and with minimum fuss Coregas delivers its donated cylinders of medical oxygen to the service’s clinic on Sydney’s Northern Beaches for use there and at the southern tablelands.
Whether it’s anaesthetising animals during operations, or intubating sick or injured wildlife, oxygen is invaluable to everything the service does.
Veterinary surgeon, Dr Howard Ralph, who is also a medical doctor, founded the charity with his wife Glenda some 15 years ago.
“We treat the full spectrum of wildlife including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, no patient is ever turned away,” he says.
The team, which includes trained veterinary nurses and other volunteers, all of whom donate their time, are regularly called to natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, drought, cyclones and oil spills.
The recent bushfires and severe drought across much of NSW has upped the ante for the service with volunteers working day and night to care for animals.
“We treat a range of patient from tiny feather tail gliders to sick adult wombats even tiny, orphans still in the pouch,” he says.
While the service has a clinic at Mona Vale on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and a major base near Braidwood, in the NSW Southern Highlands, its catchment base extends throughout the entire state of NSW and into Victoria.
In addition to its clinical practice, the registered charity provides training for carers Australia-wide, offers courses in all states and territories and provides advice and guidance to veterinarians treating wildlife throughout the world.
For Dr Ralph, the importance of caring for our wildlife cannot be underestimated. “They are an important part of our eco-system. We lose our wildlife we lose our ecosystem."
“They are sentient beings who deserve to be treated with respect and compassion,” he says.
Dr Howard Ralf conducting urological surgery on a kangaroo at Southern Cross Wildlife.
A recovering Koala and her joey in Post-op after receiving treatment for burns.