Phoenix The Red-necked Wallaby Rises To Medical Care

BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 10: Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital Senior Veterinary Nurse Louise Napoli feeds an orphaned Red-necked wallaby patient named Phoenix on August 10, 2023 in Byron Bay, Australia. The marsupial was rescued after being separated from its mother who was hit by a car. The “joey” suffered severe head trauma and lacerations after being thrown from the mother’s pouch in the impact. The young wallaby, named Phoenix, was expected to be euthanised, but made a remarkable recovery after expert medical care from Associate Veterinarian Dr Chantal Whitten and attending vet nurses. The charity hospital is seeking urgent donations to avoid closure after the NSW government revoked a previously announced $6 million, four-year funding grant one week before it was due to commence, citing ‘inadequate value for money’. The all-species wildlife hospital’s mobility means it can respond to wildlife impacted in a natural disaster like a bushfire. Australia is predicted to experience El Niño driven extreme heat this Southern Hemisphere summer. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)