Hailed a miracle koala, Timberwolf came to the Australia Zoo Wildlife hospital in unusual circumstances for an animal that had come into contact with a car on the Bruce Highway, with no affliction of any kind apart from a broken toenail and a Chlamydia diagnosis which was successfully treated.
The lack of trauma from his ordeal came as a pleasant surprise to vets at the Wildlife Hospital who are accustomed to seeing koalas in much worse shape.
Dr Amber Gillett, Senior Veterinarian and Co-coordinator of Veterinary research treated Timberwolf at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital and was thrilled to be able to release him last Friday.
“Not all koalas that come into contact with cars are so lucky, which is why being able to release Timberwolf last week was the best result we could have hoped for,” said Dr Amber.
“He’s at a good age for breeding so we hope he’ll contribute to existing koala populations in the area.”
During his release, Timberwolf leapt from one eucalypt to another giving Dr Amber confidence that he remains the survivor that came through the hospital doors at the end of July.
“Timberwolf is a tough koala and the fact that he’s exploring his environment confidently indicates that he’s still fit and healthy after being in care with us for three weeks,” she said.
The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital sees over 800 koala patients each year, with over half of these suffering from trauma caused by being hit by cars followed closely by injuries from domestic dog attacks and disease. The Wildlife Hospital relies on generous donations from the public to continue their work to help koalas like Timberwolf, and ultimately safeguard the species.