The new Esperance Wildlife Hospital and penning on the outskirts of Chadwick: Esperance Swirl Centre.
Esperance has a new wildlife hospital equipped to treat rescued birds and other small animals.
Wildlife rescuer Lori-Ann Shibish operates Esperance SWIRL (Seabird & Waterbird Injury, Rehabilitation & Learning) Centre.
She said it was the first WA wildlife hospital to be established outside the Perth Metro area and had admitted more than 100 animals in its first six months.
Ms Shibish said urgent need for a regional wildlife hospital in Esperance became clear in 2023 when three malnourished Fiordland Penguins washed ashore.
“Their only options were euthanasia or a risky six-hour transport to Albany for advanced care,” she said.
“This highlighted a broader crisis: many injured native animals were being euthanized, dying in transit, or left to perish.”
This critical situation spurred a wave of community support for a regional wildlife care facility, including Swans Vet, the Esperance Bird Observers Group, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (ETNTAC), Fauna For the Future, Western Australian Seabird Rescue and South Coast Natural Resource Management.
Ms Shibish said significant funding from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), coupled with powerful backing from the community and local organisations, had now made this vital regional facility a reality.
“The wildlife hospital provides essential triage, and timely care for Esperance’s diverse native species, dramatically improving their chances of survival, recovery. and release back to the wild,” she said.
Ms Shibish, who herself specialises in seabird rescue, operates the wildlife hospital from her Chadwick home with the assistance of Swans Veterinary Services.
