Sydney Wildlife Rescue’s Mobile Care Unit

With so many dangers to face – fires, floods, vehicle-strike, entanglement, habitat loss, attack from feral and domesticated animals, human interference and so on – our wildlife are often in desperate need of help. A “wildlife only” treatment facility was always a dream for volunteer rescuers, not only to meet the ever-increasing needs of native animals in peril, but also to relieve pressure on local veterinary clinics, which had been bearing the brunt and costs of treating wildlife. 

Joan Reid OAM and Lynleigh Greig OAM decided to try and fulfil that dream and with the help of many other Sydney Wildlife Rescue volunteers managed to raise over $200,000 to make the Mobile Care Unit a reality. With those funds and many generous donations, we were able to purchase and reconfigure a motor home into a fully functional wildlife treatment facility with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment – all on wheels! It was fitted out in late 2019 before commencing operations with a maiden voyage to the bushfire-ravaged South Coast in January 2020.

Beyond the mobile care unit itself, there’s the ongoing need for extraordinary veterinarians to complete the team of volunteers. We are proud to say that the team now boasts nine amazing vets, all of whom regularly volunteer their time, attend conferences and complete wildlife programs and courses, in person as well as online.

The Mobile Care Unit has been operating for three years now, since its maiden voyage to assist wildlife impacted by the 2019/2020 fires. In addition to being deployed to multiple areas hit by natural disasters, the Mobile Care Unit runs regular clinic days to treat sick and injured wildlife. Carers from any registered wildlife organisation are welcomed and we provide this service free of charge.

We have treated over 800 patients, from Sydney Wildlife Rescue members as well as from various other registered wildlife rescue groups. Like any other vet clinic, patients are booked in by appointment, examined by our volunteer vets, then sent home with their carer, along with any medication required for their treatment plan.

Even though the MCU is operated completely by volunteers (no paid staff whatsoever), it still has substantial ongoing costs. These are covered by donations and fundraising. This is why we are extremely grateful to Bucketty’s Brewing Co, Brent Turner, and The Tawny Frogmouth, coming together again to create another Tawny Grogmouth fundraising beer to assist Sydney Wildlife Rescue’s mission to rescue and care for sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife and to safely release them back into the wild.