Funding from the NSW 2020-21 State Budget will give $37.5 million towards the new $77 million wildlife hospital that will be called the Centre for Wildlife Rescue, Conservation Medicine and Species Recovery.
Construction will start in mid-2021 for the new wildlife hospital which will operate at both Taronga Zoo Sydney and Western Plains Zoo Dubbo.
Once open, the new hospital will:
- increase the zoos emergency care capacity
- continue emergency wildlife welfare work
- allow teams to complete annual surgeries and health checks on their animals
- boost important preventative health care and biosecurity programs.
Environment Minister Matt Kean said Taronga Zoo is the primary wildlife hospital on the east coast of NSW, with admissions coming from as far as Newcastle in the north, Lithgow in the west and Jervis Bay in the south.
“Not only are we building a brand new wildlife hospital, this will also provide an upgraded, state-of-the-art Reptile and Amphibian Conservation Centre – to ensure important species, such as Corroboree Frogs, are protected for generations to come,” Mr Kean said.
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