Taronga’s Veterinary Professional Training in Wildlife Treatment and Care is specifically designed for veterinarians and veterinary nurses and focuses on building the confidence, knowledge and skills required for the triage, first aid, treatment and care of (wild) Australian species.

This course is accredited with the Australian Veterinary Association and the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia for CPD points and is delivered via a blended learning model combining online distance education and an optional one-day intensive practical workshop.

To be eligible for participation in the course, participants must:

• be a fully qualified veterinary professional (i.e. vet, vet nurses and vet techs); and
• work in a veterinary clinic or hospital in Australia; or
• be an enrolled, final year veterinary science student (at this time we cannot accept vet nurse or vet tech students)

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Course name: Wildlife Treatment and Care.

This course includes an online component (20 CPD points), and an optional practical workshop delivered in NSW, QLD or VIC (12 CPD points). 

The 20-hour, online component of the course can be completed over three months and includes downloadable take-home resources and links to external resources, so that participants may refer back to important information as needed.

The optional workshop component is a one-day, practical with mock demonstrations on the veterinary treatment and care of wildlife. Spaces in workshops are extremely limited and participation is restricted to veterinary professionals currently working in an Australian veterinary clinic or hospital. Completion of the online component of this course is a mandatory pre-requisite to attend the practical component. 

Semester 1, 2025 of the Taronga Veterinary Professional Training in Wildlife Treatment and Care course will begin on the 13th of January 2025 and must be completed by midnight on the 13th of April 2025

The online component encompasses 5 modules of competency. It is estimated that this will take approximately 20 hours to complete. However, the course has been designed so you can complete it at your own pace over three months.

• Module 1 - Introduction to Treatment and Care of Wildlife
• Module 2 - Amphibians and Reptiles Treatment and Care 
• Module 3 - Birds Treatment and Care 
• Module 4 - Mammals Treatment and Care 
• Module 5 - Koalas Treatment and Care (developed by the Koala Health Hub)

The modules have been developed by wildlife veterinarians of the Taronga Wildlife Hospitals and tailored by our program partners. Module 5 - Koalas Treatment and Care, has been developed by the Koala Health Hub. Interstate program partners oversee the inclusion of state specific content. For this intake, veterinary professionals working in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria will engage with content specific to their state. Veterinary professionals from other states and territories will engage with New South Wales content. Thank you to our program partners, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Zoos Victoria. 

For each of these modules, the content will cover the following topics:

Topic 1: Regulation, resources and risks

This topic will cover important facts about animal welfare and legislation pertaining to wildlife, what information to record in the initial examination of a wildlife patient, available sources of advice for assessing and treating wildlife patients, wildlife associated zoonotic diseases, and practices for minimising zoonotic disease risk at your practice.

Topic 2: Handling and immediate housing

This topic will cover clinically relevant anatomy and physiology, handling techniques, basic housing and feeding of wildlife while hospitalised at your practice.

Topic 3:  Assessment, triage and emergency care

This topic will cover clinical assessment, first aid, chemical restraint and criteria for euthanasia. Specifically, how to conduct a physical examination in the wildlife patient, the steps that follow initial assessment and triage, the principles of providing basic first aid to wildlife patients, basic information on providing fluids, wound care, the criteria and preferred methods for euthanasia of wildlife.

Topic 4: Diagnosis and treatment

This topic will cover common injuries and diseases of wildlife, therapeutics, drug administration, pain management, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs.

The face-to-face workshop is an optional, one-day, practical with mock demonstrations on the veterinary treatment and care of wildlife. Spaces in workshops are extremely limited. Registration for workshops launches after the commencement of the online course and to be eligible to register you must be a veterinary professional (eg vet or vet nurse) currently working in an Australian veterinary clinic or hospital. Completion of the online component of this course is a mandatory pre-requisite to attend the practical component. 

During the workshop, participants will be presented with real case studies and will apply a mock diagnostic investigation covering triage, assessment, examination, diagnosis and treatment of wildlife (native reptiles, birds and mammals), as well as participate in a tour of a wildlife hospital’s facilities to learn about post-treatment care of wildlife. Participants will also learn how to perform necropsy diagnosis of wildlife.

Applications for Semester 1, 2025 open on September 27 and close on November 30 midnight.

You will be asked to upload a signed letter written by your employer or manager at your clinic/hospital that confirms you meet the eligibility criteria. The letter should be individualised to the applicant and include:

• Applicant’s full name
• Applicant’s job title/role at your organisation
• Employment status at organisation (Full Time, Part Time, Casual or Locum)
• Name of organisation 
• Must be on letterhead

Taronga staff will review these documents to confirm your identity and eligibility for the course. If your letter is missing any of the above information, unfortunately your application will automatically be rejected. Your personal data will be deleted once it is no longer required.

Participants will be notified of their enrolment outcome the week preceding course commencement.
Please note that the application form is not designed to be completed on a mobile device. We recommend a laptop or desktop computer when applying.

On submission of your application, you should receive a brief confirmation to the email address you gave us. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours, please contact us at tarongaprofvet@zoo.nsw.gov.au.

Discounted positions

This veterinary professional development training was created as part of the NSW Koala Strategy and is funded by the NSW Government. Thanks to this funding we can offer the discounted rates currently advertised.

Online course

Semester 1, 2025 of the Taronga Veterinary Professional Training in Wildlife Treatment and Care course will begin on the 13th of January 2025 and must be completed by midnight on the 13th of April 2025.

You can complete the online course at your own pace over the three months. 

Workshops

Registration for the one-day, optional workshop component will launch after the online course commences. Workshops take place after the online component concludes.  Workshop locations will include:

• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Currumbin, Queensland
• Taronga Zoo Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales
• Zoos Victoria - Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo

Taronga’s Veterinary Professional Development in Wildlife Treatment and Care course is expanding first across koala states and territories, with an aim to continue to expand nationally. Program partners are identified interstate experts in Australian wildlife treatment and care, committed to ensuring state specific legislation, policies and guidelines of the course remain current.

Zoos Victoria 

Zoos Victoria is dedicated to conservation. Over the last decade, we have become a trusted voice in animal welfare and have a long history of responding to wildlife in need. As a support agency listed in Victoria’s State Emergency Management Plan, we work at the interface between government, community and non-government organisations to drive progress in wildlife welfare. Our focus is on setting a world-class standard that delivers the development of skill in the veterinary assessment of native wildlife within general practice veterinary clinics and enhancing preparedness for response to wildlife impacted by future emergency events.  Zoos Victoria supports Taronga Conservation Society Australia’s Veterinary Professional Training in Wildlife Treatment and Care course as the Victorian program partner.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

National Trust Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has been conserving native wildlife and educating the community and guests about our native wildlife species and their habitats for 75 years. Our contributions will help to save wildlife species from further decline through vital veterinary treatment and care, insurance populations, breeding programs and research projects. National Trust Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary supports Taronga Conservation Society Australia’s Veterinary Professional Training in Wildlife Treatment and Care course as the Queensland program partner.