By Brittany Pullin, Senior Wildlife Welfare Officer, Phillip Island Nature Parks

The Phillip Island Nature Parks' Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (proudly funded by Penguin Foundation donors) has been busy with a range of patients from Australian shelducklings and wood ducklings to magpies, lapwings, silver gulls, Eastern barred bandicoots, and a handful of young echidnas. This full house of little ones has kept the team busy. While some young were able to be reunited with their families or fostered to new ones, others required hand-rearing, which can be demanding on both time and resources.

The young short-beaked echidnas that came into care were an interesting case and a unique opportunity for the team to stretch our proverbial medical and rehabilitative wings and strengthen the working relationships with other wildlife experts.

Each echidna presented with a skin condition (red, angry looking skin) with various degrees of scabbing and missing hair and spines predominantly along their backs. In the initial weeks of their care, these echidnas received daily baths with medicated shampoo and twice daily treatment with an antifungal spray.

Given the unusual presentation in the number of cases seen, we sought out further answers and took our echidnas on a fieldtrip to Healesville for further diagnostics. Each echidna received a full work-up, with subcutaneous fluids, pain relief, and anti-parasitic treatment while under anaesthesia along with blood and biopsy samples taken. They have also uploaded information on our echidnas to the state-wide database so that we can further work together to determine what is affecting our native wildlife and how to best help. While we are still waiting for test results, we can happily to report that our current treatment is effective, with each echidna’s skin showing great improvements and hair beginning to regrow.

Earlier this year, we were able to come to the aid of an Eastern barred bandicoot joey. At only 132 grams, she was found in the mouth of a Phillip Island resident’s dog and taken straight to the vet in Newhaven. Thankfully uninjured, she came to us where she was gradually weaned from milk and raised to be independent and self-sufficient. She was successfully released after 41 days in care.

This is just a snapshot of the incredible work being done by the dedicated team to rescue and rehabilitate native wildlife and demonstrates impact of donations to the Penguin Foundation - thanks for your support. Donate here.