Injured koala? Call 1800 775 625 for 24/7 rescue
About our work
35+ years leading koala and native wildlife care, rehabilitation, and release in Port Stephens and the Hunter region
Whether sick, injured or orphaned, every wild koala and native animal that comes to us gets the care they deserve.
As the region’s leading koala and wildlife hospital, our fully equipped clinic and rehabilitation site is led by experts, backed by 230+ trained volunteer carers, and works in partnership with other wildlife groups and vet clinics across the region to support wild lives.
In addition, our funded research into koala disease and future treatment, along with comprehensive education programs, is helping secure a better long-term outlook for native wildlife while building the next generation of wildlife advocates.
Across our work, the goal is always the same: healthy animals, returned to the wild, for a future where native wildlife thrives.
From our hospital facilities to our story, team and Sanctuary partnership.
Thanks for giving wildlife a fair chance
We’re a not-for-profit organisation. Every outcome we achieve for koalas and native wildlife is only possible through the support of our community, including adoptions, donations and partnerships.
Koalas rescued over last 10 years
Koalas released to the wild
Native wildlife treated annually
Volunteers (60% trained wildlife rehabilitators)
Make a difference
Ways to support our work
Latest research
Koala Chlamydia and Retrovirus project
Right here in our hospital, we’re leading a three-year, $3 million research project using the region’s only dedicated high-end CT scanner to better understand and treat two of the biggest challenges impacting koala’s health – chlamydia and koala retrovirus – and advance koala care and conservation.
This research is funded by the Australian Government’s Local Environmental Projects Program.
Protecting koalas…and native wildlife
Koalas are an endangered species across New South Wales and Queensland, and here in the Hunter, their bushland homes continue to be lost and fragmented. We provide no cost care for every sick, injured, orphaned koala or, native animal that come through our doors.
#StayWild
All animals in our care are wild, and we work to keep them that way. We handle them as little as possible, always with the goal of returning them safely to their natural habitat when it’s safe to do so. In cases where it isn’t, we apply for licence to allow them to remain at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary.
Success Story
Reggie’s journey back to the bush
When Reggie arrived at Port Stephens Koala Hospital in December 2025, he was a young sub-adult male who had likely only recently left his mother to find a territory of his own. He was very unwell, with discharge from both his eyes and nose. A CT scan revealed pneumonia, and testing confirmed he was also positive for chlamydia.
Did you know?
It costs more than $16,000 to rehabilitate and release a koala back into the wild, from rescue through to medical care and food.
Did you know?
Koalas can eat up to a kilogram of eucalyptus leaves a day. But they’re pretty fussy, eating only 50 of the 800 species that exist.
Did you know?
Many sick koalas that come into care are affected by more than one issue, such as disease combined with dehydration or injury.
Would you like our team to come and give a talk about our work to your school or community group?
Latest updates
Ainslie’s journey to recovery
When Ainslie arrived at Port Stephens Koala Hospital in October 2025, she was still riding on the back of her mum, Jane. The pair had been rescued from a backyard at Brandy Hill after dogs were spotted nearby.
Basil’s journey to recovery
In October 2021, a young koala joey was rescued from the side of Port Stephens Drive, a road once known for being particularly dangerous for koalas and other wildlife. Alone and appearing to have a leg injury, Basil was far too young to be without his mum.
