Help Aussie Wildlife Recover-New Wombat Enclosures
Mudgeroo Emu Farm and Animal Refuge is a unique family run Australian wildlife rescue and rehabilitation effort and is located on a 70 acre block on the Shoalhaven Coast, about 3 hours south of Sydney NSW. The Refuge was once a for-profit Emu Farm where emus were destroyed to create products such as Emu Oil. Belinda and Phil purchased this property and saved the Emus from being destroyed. 
Belinda has been working with animals her whole life, both in Australia and several other conservation efforts all over the world. She has completed studies in both zoo keeping and veterinary nursing vocations. Phil works locally and helps to build enclosures and assist with the heavier and stronger patients. They also live with their young son Marcus who loves animals and helps with feeding.
Over the last few years, they have recommissioned the property to suit the needs of a wildlife refuge, building highly specialised and secure enclosures for the vast array of unique species the local Australian habitat is home to. Belinda has cared for Kangaroos, Koalas, Emus, Echidnas, Possums, Snakes, Turtles, Goannas, Kookaburras, and many other species. Belinda and Phil have also created a triage, surgery and quarantine area for animals who arrive in need of urgent medical examination, treatment, and recovery.
Belinda and Phil will rescue animals themselves, often from roadsides or difficult terrain, but sometimes others will bring the animals to them or help them to rescue the injured wildlife. The wildlife present with trauma from cars, dog/cat/fox attacks, getting caught in fences, mange, ticks, disease, burns, flooding, loss of habitat, loss of their mothers or family units… There is always a lot of work to be done with a steady and overwhelming stream of patients from all different walks of life.
d and or orphaned wombats. This would be a dream come true for Belinda, who works tirelessly to care for the wombats in care in the often, at times, cramped facilities.
Caring for these animals is a very expensive and time consuming activity, with many patients requiring heating, constant feeding, specialty medical treatment & equipment and unique enclosures. Some patients also require around the clock care especially if they are very young or arrive in an unstable condition. As you might imagine, this can be very taxing financially, emotionally and physically.
Belinda and Phil had an unfortunate bout of family medical turmoils and financial hardship which saw the farm put on the market. Then came the fires. Belinda and her family and animals had to evacuate on 4 separate occasions across 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires which destroyed millions of hectares of habitat and cost 450 human lives (including smoke related deaths). Millions of animals perished with many more being injured. The property was wedged in between two large fires (Currowan 313,236ha & Comberton 2,686ha). Luckily the farm and the family both survived relatively unharmed with thanks to the Falls Creek and other local Fire Brigades.
With the property still on the market, Belinda was reluctant to take on any long term care patients of her own and helped other shelters in NSW and ACT with their patients. The other shelters were overflowing with burns and smoke victims whilst mange ran rampant in the remaining wombat population. Belinda agreed to take on Fred, who had little hope of recovery with a severe case of mange. Over the next couple of months and with regular and painstaking treatments, Fred the Wombat started to recover. Marcus had his first day at school and Belinda had the time to take on another wombat or two in desperate need of a place to be cared for.
Then COVID-19 hit the southern hemisphere. Despite the challenges this created for the community, this was a turning point for Mudgeroo and its inhabitants. A bank allowed Phil to refinance his loan and was able to renegotiate their mortgage repayments and keep their family home along with all of the animals and specialised enclosures they had worked so hard to build. Mudgeroo Emu Farm and Animal Refuge was taken off the market and the family could unpack all of their belongings that were put away, including equipment and medical supplies for injured and orphaned wildlife. Belinda and Phil could finally relax after Belinda’s beloved Mum passing away, Phil getting the all clear from cancer and the long period of stress of both the financial and fire threat, not destroying their beloved wildlife refuge and home.
Now that Belinda and Phil are able to fully devote themselves to wildlife rescue again, they are seeking support for the improvement of the facilities, medical treatments and supplies, petrol needed for rescues, food for the animals etc. The current Goal is now to expand the animal nursery and build two enclosed indoor pens, creating more room for incoming injure
As such, we are fundraising individually to specifically help Mudgeroo Emu Farm and Wildlife Refuge in their endeavours to save, feed and rehabilitate their animals, as well as refurbish and expand enclosures and medical facilities. It is our hope that with the right funding maybe one day, we could even build a local wildlife hospital on the property with medical facilities that will be able to service a very large area of the South Coast of NSW.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to contact Belinda personally through the Facebook Page:
You can also stay up to date with regular photos and recovery updates on the following social media accounts:
FACEBOOK LINK
INSTAGRAM LINK
With special thanks to COLES, ALDI, Dr.Oakly Yukon Vet Cast & Crew, Animal Rescue Cooperative, Wildlife Rescue South Coast,S outh Coast Register, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Shoalhaven Bat Clinic, Bathrooms, Doors & More Nowra, Australian Sea Bird Rescue – South Coast Branch
