From wallabies to wedge tailed eagles, the team at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre have been busy. From January through to April, they received 420 wildlife calls made up of 40 species with little penguins taking the spotlight at nearly one third of the calls. Over 130 little penguins were rescued over the 4-month period. Alongside little penguins, the dedicated team tended to pelicans, gannets, gulls, echidnas, Eastern barred bandicoots, wedge-tailed eagles and many more species through the centre. The Penguin Foundation and generous donors make the vital conservation and rehabilitation efforts on Milawul, Phillip Island possible and ensure this service can continue and expand for many years into the future.

About the Phillip Island Nature Parks Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, opened in 2011, is funded through the ecotourism activities offered by Phillip Island Nature Parks and the Penguin Foundation adopt a penguin program.

The Centre is purpose-built to care for Phillip Island’s sick and injured native wildlife. Starvation, road trauma, pet or feral animal attacks, oil spills and boat trauma are common causes of admittance to the Centre. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre provides access to offsite veterinary care and treatment when required. The ultimate aim of wildlife rehabilitation is to return healthy animals to the wild so they can resume life without further support.

Each year the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre treats approximately 150 little penguins and 300 to 400 other native animals, including short-tailed shearwaters, southern giant petrels and koalas.

Oil spills
A patch of oil the size of a thumbnail can kill a little penguin.
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre can care for up to 500 little penguins in the event of an oil spill.
To date, the largest number of oiled birds treated at Phillip Island Nature Parks was over 438 in a 2001 oil spill. Over 95 per cent of these penguins were released back into the wild thanks to the experience of staff and volunteers. Phillip Island Nature Parks also runs training courses and provides advice to other wildlife shelters across Australia relating to little penguin and seabird rehabilitation.