Koala Name: Allworth Atticus

Rescued: November 2023

Released: December 2024

Reason Atticus came into care: Atticus was spotted at night by a member of the public who already knew that koalas were resident in the Allworth area and had previously contact Port Stephens Koala Hospital, a couple of times, regarding koalas that needed assistance for various reasons. The member of the public noticed that Atticus was dragging one of his back legs across the road and knowing that this was not normal for a koala, she promptly rang the rescue line, where a rescue team was activated and on site quickly. Atticus though decided to not show how injured he was and climbed a tree too high for us to do anything during the night. He was monitored by the member of the public throughout the night to ensure that we did not lose track of him and, at dawn, the rescue team, along with the tree climber, went back out to get Atticus, who was patiently waiting at the highest point in the tree for us to rescue him.

Treatment provided: Once back at the clinic, Atticus was provided with pain relief and sedation and given a full health check to assess his injuries. This health check included extensive radiographs, bloods test and chlamydia tests. Once confirmed that his leg was indeed fractured, surgery took place to pin and bandage the fracture to stabilise the injury. He underwent 6 weeks of intensive care, with rechecking and radiographs by the Hospital team. Once the fracture healed, Atticus then underwent another few weeks building the strength back in his leg to ensure that he could not only climb a tree, but as a male, he also needed to be able to use the leg well enough to be able to fight other males and defend his territory. Once given all clear by the veterinary team, and experienced koala wildlife rehabilitators, he was released at a property a safe distance away from the road.

Estimated cost of treatment while in care; Over $5,000