Australia Zoo Australia Zoo news

Jabiru96 · 7 May 2015

Zookeeper bitten by wild snake: Woman bitten by snake at Australia Zoo | Ipswich Queensland Times

Jabiru96 · 19 Jun 2015

An Eastern grey kangaroo has been treated at the Australia Zoo wildlife hospital after being shot in the head with an arrow: Queensland Kangaroo with an ARROW through its head taken to Australia Zoo | Daily Mail Online

Chlidonias · 20 Jun 2015

Sunbear12 said: ↑

A news article which talks about the zoo's plans for adding another 22 lemurs by Easter. Would you pay $3500 to wrestle a crocodile? | Sunshine Coast Daily
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does anyone know what is happening with the planned addition of "up to another 22 lemurs" referred to in this article? Easter has come and gone a couple of months ago, and there appear to still be just the four male ring-tails on display.

Jabiru96 · 16 Sep 2015

3.0 Asian short clawed otters have arrived from an unspecified zoo. Here is more information about Australia Zoo's otters: Mammals at Australia Zoo

Chlidonias · 16 Sep 2015

Jabiru96 said: ↑

3.0 Asian short clawed otters have arrived from an unspecified zoo. Here is more information about Australia Zoo's otters: Mammals at Australia Zoo
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those are the sibling trio from Mooloolaba. Unless they have got in some new otters to replace them then Mooloolaba is now otterless.

Jabiru96 · 23 Sep 2015

1.2 dingo born: Australia Zoo welcomes new dingo pups

vogelcommando · 11 Oct 2015

Zoo hospital in crisis :
No Cookies | The Courier-Mail

LaughingDove · 11 Oct 2015

vogelcommando said: ↑

Zoo hospital in crisis :
No Cookies | The Courier-Mail
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When I click on the link, it says "Only members can access our premium articles and features." and asks me to pay.
Could someone who is able to access it quote the text?

Chlidonias · 11 Oct 2015

here is one which allows you to actually read the story:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...g-drugs-injected/story-fnii5v6u-1227564602432

AUSTRALIA’S largest wildlife hospital is in turmoil amid an unprecedented staff exodus and allegations of mistreatment. Sources say a management push to replace vet nurses at Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital with unqualified staff has led to disturbing animal welfare cases.

The Sunday Mail can reveal staff were so concerned about dropping veterinary standards they secretly urged Queensland Health to perform an audit which uncovered non-compliant practices.

The five areas of non-compliance included unqualified staff administering schedule 4 medicines and vet nurses dosing patients with schedule 8 controlled drugs. The hospital was ordered to address those issues which were in breach of the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996.

Vets and vet nurses have been quitting in despair, saying the changes had “made it impossible to practice good medicine”.

Departing staff cited their disappointment with “inferior” veterinary practices leading to animals receiving a lesser standard of treatment.

It’s claimed an influx of inexperienced recruits — some of whom had never worked with wildlife — may have led to broken bones being accidentally inflicted on koalas in their care.

Patients also were wrongly administered drugs and in one example medication that should have gone into a bird’s throat was entered into the windpipe.

In another example a turtle’s necrotic shell was not detected for days, despite the smell, because staff did not realise the odour was unusual.

Sources say the Wildlife Hospital relies on experienced vet nurses to monitor and treat a variety of wild and traumatised species.

But recent cases of injuries, illnesses or trauma allegedly inflicted on animals or that went undetected because of inexperience include:

* Baxter and Jenkins, koalas suffered broken limbs possibly after being dropped. Baxter’s broken arm went undetected for weeks.

* Pooh, a koala had to undergo emergency treatment after fluid meant for injection under the skin was wrongly administered into the lungs.

* Woody, a koala was given an incorrect dose of insulin and had a hyperglycaemic attack and needed emergency treatment.

* Pacific baza (bird of prey), had its leg broken due to inappropriate handling and had to be euthanised.

It’s been calculated 12 vet nurses and four vets have left the hospital from a staffing pool of 16 nurses and four vets, including esteemed head vet Dr Claude Lacasse.

Dr Lacasse was twice awarded for her commitment to the hospital but it’s understood she resigned after finding the reduction in standards untenable. Newer employees have also legged it, with some only lasting a few days before realising they were out of their depth.

Four vet staff wrote a letter to Wildlife Hospital director Terri Irwin outlining their concerns regarding staffing and quality care but did not receive a response.

The hospital now has only one full-time vet on duty and less than half the number of vet nurses Some of the unqualified recruits had worked in shoe sales, a call centre or zookeeping at Australia Zoo before taking on responsibility for rescued wildlife.

More resignations are expected as remaining staff struggle with an onslaught of injured animals during the annual koala “trauma” season.

An Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital spokesman did not respond to specific questions but issued a statement saying the hospital team was highly skilled, with over 50 years’ combined veterinary experience.

“This expertise with the most up-to-date practices allows us to maintain the highest standard of animal care at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital,” she said. “Our world-class facility welcomes visitors and the public to witness first-hand the lifesaving treatment of our native wildlife.”
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kelvin · 13 Oct 2015

WATCH: Australia Zoo's baby rhino takes tentative steps | Sunshine Coast Daily

Loxodonta Cobra · 13 Oct 2015

Chlidonias said: ↑

here is one which allows you to actually read the story:
No Cookies | The Advertiser
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Wow. You know between this and the mass of firings and the budget problems that this well-renowned place has experienced in recent years it makes me wonder, what would Steve think of this?

FriendOfTheZoo · 28 Oct 2015

?It wouldn?t happen with Steve?

Chlidonias · 28 Oct 2015

FriendOfTheZoo said: ↑

?It wouldn?t happen with Steve?
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that's a long and pretty damning story. There are a couple of other links inside it as well. In case people overseas cannot access it (as with an earlier story)...

WALKING through the gate at Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo, dressed in crisp new khaki, Jane (not her real name) thought she had finally landed her dream job.

Young, experienced and brimming with passion for wildlife, she believed she’d spend the rest of her career at the world-famous facility.

But that dream, as the cliche forebodes, soon turned into a nightmare. Inside the zoo cult, Jane says she experienced bullying, intimidation, incompetence and a ‘toxic” work environment that she dreaded each day.

By the time she resigned and was abruptly escorted off the grounds — a traumatic ritual that has befallen numerous employees — Jane was a broken woman.

“I remember being in a ball, literally curled in a ball, on my apartment floor, bawling my f------ eyes out,” she recalls.

“A mess — a shell of who I had been only a year prior.” Jane’s story is repeated by other ex-employees who have come forward and spoken to The Sunday Mail over the past two weeks.

They had toiled in fear and silence and, even after leaving the zoo, kept quiet about their experiences, ever paranoid they’d be hauled to court for breaching confidentiality deeds.

But as allegations of animal mistreatment and bullying at the zoo and not-for-profit wildlife hospital were publicly exposed this month, many agreed to talk anonymously ‘in the hope that perhaps something will be done”.

Says one former zookeeper who was employed for four years: “This is only a glimpse into the reality behind the smiling faces and perfect image that is Australia Zoo.” Almost 10 years after Steve Irwin’s death, staff who never even met the man believe he would not tolerate the alleged treatment of employees and animals.

Steve was a man with an undeniable passion for nature, and those who worked with him say he was an equally enthusiastic boss.

The Croc Hunter’s widow, Terri, has made it her life’s work to keep alive her husband’s dream and memory.

But with the Irwins often overseas or busy with Bindi and Robert’s lucrative television and movie careers, the zoo’s day-to-day affairs are left to Steve’s ‘best mate” from the old croc-jumping days, Wes Mannion.

Wes has a touch of Steve’s ebullient personality and has worked at the zoo since he was 18, climbing to zoo director. Staff say they are not overly fond of Wes, but it wasn’t until he hired a friend from the US, Josh Ruffell, that the real troubles began.

Ruffell is blamed by many former employees interviewed by The Sunday Mail for their departure and for fomenting a toxic culture that has permeated the zoo and wildlife hospital.

Ex-employees say they raised issues with the zoo’s human resources department, naming Ruffell as the cause of their upset, describing him as a bully and detailing examples of alleged intimidation and favouritism. Under his reign, staff say they were abruptly sacked, shoved into different roles and excessively reprimanded.

In response to the allegations, a zoo spokesperson says staff can lodge formal complaints through internal disciplinary processes.

“We have zero tolerance to bullying and try to uphold the highest standards for our staff,” the spokesperson says.

“All of our recruitment and disciplinary processes are subject to the same government regulation as any organisation. No one (at the hospital) has chosen to utilise any of our processes.” But former staff say Mannion’s right-hand man appeared untouchable and was given more and more responsibilities — taking on curator roles in reptiles, crocs, birds, and roving entertainment.

It wasn’t just staff who suffered.

Sources have blamed Ruffell’s decision-making for the deaths of animals, including the zoo’s prized Jabiru named Djagarna, a 4m saltwater crocodile Shaka and an endangered species of crested iguana. Australia Zoo has said Shaka’s cause of death was unknown and that it had been bagged correctly but died due to complications during transport.

Despite the discord, Ruffell’s reign spread and triggered a revolving door of staff. “We were always told, if you don’t like the place there’s always somebody to replace you,” recalls one former zookeeper. “But people didn’t want to go anywhere else. They were in their dream job.” A single employee at Australia Zoo is one of hundreds. So when two or three people leave — or even 10 in four days, as Jane recalls when she resigned — the departure causes little upheaval.

But at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, where a small team of experienced vets and vet nurses treat up to 7500 injured native animals each year, a few resignations will be felt.

The hospital was opened in 2004 in honour of Steve’s late mother Lyn. Located in a separate building at the opposite end of the zoo carpark, the hospital had long existed in a protected bubble, largely unaffected by the zoo’s internal dramas.

But in July last year, the hospital crew was invited to dinner with Terri Irwin at The Beerwah Tavern down the road from the zoo.

It was billed as a chance for the power businesswoman to get to know the team. But sources who attended say Terri sat at her own table and didn’t mingle.

“She basically gave a 30-minute speech and talked about herself, and how we were all lucky to have our jobs — and we should accept any changes,” one former vet nurse recalls. “About a month later Josh (Ruffell) was brought in.” Ruffell was apparently pulled in to change the direction of the hospital, although staff were unsure what that meant. (It appeared new employees were subsequently being hired on personality rather than just experience).

Zoo director Mannion says the new overseer was raising the bar “massively high” at the facility, which already provided the highest standard of veterinary care to wild animals rescued from roadsides and backyards.

Within months, a vet nurse with more than 20 years’ experience was the first employee abruptly called to a meeting with Ruffell and HR and told to grab her lunch.

After five years tending to injured natives, she was moved to the zoo’s birds department as an ordinary keeper and prevented from returning to the hospital.

Her departure unnerved colleagues. Then the hospital receptionist was uprooted and sent to work in zoo mammals. The next to go was a vet nurse who had raised concerns with her supervisor about Terri and a group of VIPs entering intensive care where a sick koala was on seizure watch.

By the time a fourth employee was shafted — and repeatedly questioned if she was pregnant — morale at the hospital had plummeted.

But worse than that, the three departing qualified and experienced nurses were replaced with zookeepers and unqualified recruits.

Over the space of about a year, 12 vet nurses and five vets from a pool of 16 vet nurses and four fulltime vets resigned, unable to accept the reduction in veterinary standards.

Head vet Claude Lacasse was also stripped of her managerial duties, and another vet who had voiced her disapproval was sacked part-way through a koala surgery.

Meanwhile, the zoo director’s fiancee Cindy Menzi was brought in as a vet nurse despite her lack of qualifications.

A zoo spokesperson explains the forced role changes by saying all employees have the potential to learn new skills.

“By providing the opportunity for this to occur, we are consistently improving every aspect of our organisation with upskilling and cross training.” However, rookie replacements were hired who had never worked with wildlife — or had no experience with any animals — and because of the staff exodus, few people were left to train them.

The new staff worked unsupervised on night shifts and made unqualified medical decisions.

“They (management) had a complete disrespect for the profession and said anyone could become a nurse in a week,” says one former employee. “It was getting really hard to operate the hospital legally.”

Long-serving staff say the wildlife hospital used to have an impeccable record. Any creature — from a green tree frog with a broken leg to a koala hit by a car — was nursed back to health and released into the wild.

But as the pool of expertise drained with each resignation, the first cases of animal mistreatment began to arise.

Vet nurses without any qualifications and training were not detecting injuries and illnesses because they had no idea what to look for.

A koala suffered for weeks without pain relief because nurses didn’t realise its arm had been broken, possibly after being dropped in care by a staffer unsure how to handle the wild animal.

Despite its foul odour, a necrotic shell was not realised on an eastern long neck turtle that then had to receive stronger antibiotics.

The Sunday Mail has uncovered about 10 alleged examples of animals given the wrong care or worse — that suffered further injury — because of inexperienced staff. There was also a concerted management push to allow the unqualified staff to administer drugs which is a violation of state laws.

Worried staff secretly urged Queensland Health to undertake a surprise audit, which uncovered five breaches of the law, including the unqualified administering of medication.

Under such difficult conditions, the staff exodus continued until last week when the last fulltime vet handed in her notice.

Two government agencies — Biosecurity Queensland and the Veterinary Surgeons Board — announced they would investigate the hospital, but former staff fear management will sweet-talk authorities and nothing will change.

Staff often wonder whether Terri Irwin is aware of the internal troubles. On the one hand, she appeared to be issuing an early warning to expect change when she dined with hospital staff at the tavern and hasn’t responded to a letter written by four concerned vets.

On the other hand, the Irwin family circulate in a celebrity world and have many competing projects.

People who have met the Irwins describe Terri as smart and funny and the children as sweet.

Jane says she is still grateful to have experienced the dream of a lifetime, even if it ended so horribly.

She has since worked through the stages of grief, and her best coping mechanism, she says, is to try not to think about her time at the zoo.

A number of former staff told The Sunday Mail they had undergone therapy or seen psychologists.

“The way I was treated (when I was escorted off the premises), I was distraught, in tears, crying all over the place; I felt my heart had been well and truly ripped out,” says another former zoo employee.

“I still get upset when I think of the animals I had to leave behind.”

Fresh tears of a different sort flowed last week, however, when news spread through the ex-zoo network that Ruffell had been escorted off the premises.

The Sunday Mail understands the man allegedly responsible for many others taking that same walk of shame has been the focus of a workplace investigation over alleged harassment.

“I broke out crying when I found out,” Jane says. “I wish the zoo no ill will, and particularly wish no ill will for the wildlife hospital which used to be a shining beacon in conservation,” she says.

The Sunday Mail contacted Mr Ruffell for comment but he referred questions to the zoo.
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zooboy28 · 29 Oct 2015

Chlidonias said: ↑

that's a long and pretty damning story. There are a couple of other links inside it as well. In case people overseas cannot access it (as with an earlier story)...
Click to expand...

It is very damning, I wonder how long before the Zoo makes an official statement about it.

tetrapod · 1 Nov 2015

A pretty damning story and yet unfortunately a familiar one to anybody that works/worked in zoos (obviously it occurs in other career paths too!). A combination of egos, jobs for mates, acceptence of poor pay for a 'dream' job etc creates an environment which all to often goes pear-shaped for many employees. The article comment about keepers being 'easiy replaced' is commonplace. Too many experienced career keepers get to a point when they cannot be bothered continuing in zoos due to harassment, misguided appointments or lack of transparency of decisions, the end result being substantial skill/knowledge/experience loss in the sector. Unfortunately my view stems from personal experience and conversation with many ex-colleagues.

As for the idea that this wouldn't have occurred during Steve's reign - rubbish. Talk to enough ex-keepers from Aust Zoo and you would find out he was no saint to work for. His whole media persona revolved around harassing animals until they reacted for the camera.

FriendOfTheZoo · 2 Nov 2015

zooboy28 said: ↑

It is very damning, I wonder how long before the Zoo makes an official statement about it.
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Terri, Robert & Bindi are all too busy with Bindi's Dancing with the Stars gig on US TV for that.

Jabiru96 · 9 Nov 2015

WILDLIFE carers are refusing to take injured animals to Australia Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital for fear that creatures are being euthanised because of a lack of veterinary experience.

Claims of animal mistreatment and disturbing welfare cases have intensified in recent weeks following an exodus of qualified staff.

But The Sunday Mail can reveal inspectors have not yet set foot in the hospital despite the launch of two state government investigations three weeks ago.’

Potential informants have also been warned they are not protected against retaliatory legal action by the zoo and have had to set aside this fear to prepare formal statements for inspectors.

Current and previous staff remain subject to the zoo’s “confidentiality deed” which prevents them disclosing any information relating to the zoo “to any person”. Frustrated sources say they are losing faith authorities will intervene.

Sunshine Coast bird carer Jenny Smyth said carers who had delivered animals to the hospital for years were no longer willing to take the risk.

“We don’t trust anymore. We don’t trust there’s the *experience there,” she said.

Biosecurity Queensland has confirmed its investigation could take months.

“Over the past fortnight, Biosecurity Queensland has been in regular contact with the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital about its animal care practices, including discussions with a significant number of people who we *believe can assist us,” a statement said.

An Australia Zoo spokesperson said it had some of the best vets in the business working to save patients at the Wildlife Hospital.

“In total, our team has over 50 years of combined expertise in the specialist field of wildlife medicine and care, which is something we’re very proud of,” the spokesperson said. “Animals are never euthanised as an ‘easier option’. Vets are highly qualified, trained professionals who love animals. They make decisions based on years of experience and always in the best interest of a patient’s wellbeing and quality of life.

“As always, it is our mission and our goal to save wildlife.”

Anyone with specific knowledge of an animal welfare issue is encouraged to provide information to the appropriate authority.
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No Cookies | The Courier-Mail

Jabiru96 · 22 Nov 2015

kelvin said: ↑

WATCH: Australia Zoo's baby rhino takes tentative steps | Sunshine Coast Daily
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He has been named Humprey.

Woo-Hoo! We’ve named our baby rhino! Welcome to the Australia Zoo family, Humphrey! We can’t wait to watch this little beauty grow big and strong just like his dad DJ. Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Australia Zoo Festival and submitted a name through RACQ (Official)! Humphrey is still chilling out with his mum behind the scenes but it won’t be long before he can be seen on the African Savannah here at the Zoo! To find out more about rhinos and how you can help protect them, head to: Wildlife Warriors and the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital - Global Conservation

Jabiru96 · 29 Nov 2015

The assistant curator has now been sacked:

AUSTRALIA Zoo has fired the controversial manager who staff blame for the crisis at the Sunshine Coast wildlife hospital and the deaths of prized zoo animals.

Sources say assistant curator Josh Ruffell’s employment has been terminated following an internal workplace investigation into claims of harassment.

Under Mr Ruffell’s reign, current and former staff say the standard of veterinary care at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital plummeted, leading to alleged mistreatment of sick and injured animals.

His decision-making and lack of animal expertise was also blamed for the deaths of zoo creatures — including a prized jabiru, saltwater crocodile Shaka and an endangered species of crested iguana.

Mr Ruffell was employed from the US about seven years ago and was right-hand man to zoo director Wes Mannion.

Wherever he went, staff say workers were shoved into different roles, excessively reprimanded and abruptly sacked and forced to make the escorted walk of shame out of the zoo gates.

After allegedly fomenting a “toxic’ work environment at the zoo, Mr Ruffell was given responsibility just over a year ago to implement changes at the wildlife hospital.

Within months of Mr Ruffell’s appointment as an overarching manager, veterinary nurses and doctors were abruptly transferred or fired and replaced with unqualified recruits, some with no experience with animals.

Hospital procedures were also changed so that unqualified staff could administer medication — a breach of state regulations.

A spokesman for Australia Zoo yesterday refused to comment on Mr Ruffell’s departure but previously indicated that the zoo was undertaking a “workplace investigation”.
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No Cookies | The Courier-Mail

Jabiru96 · 16 Dec 2015

An Eastern ground parrot was treated at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital: Australia Zoo - About Us - Zoo News - Terra the ground parrot makes a flying recovery!

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