Darwin Wildlife Sanctuary

06/11/2026

These two little Masked Lapwing ( Vanellus miles ) chicks found themselves in a rather unfortunate predicament after becoming trapped in a drain at a unit complex!

Wildlife rescuers attended and, with a crowbar and a bit of careful work, were able to safely open the drain and rescue both chicks.

The little pair were brought to Wild North Veterinary Hospital for a health assessment and rehydration before being collected by an experienced wildlife carer, who will continue to provide them with fluids, warmth and regular feeds.

Thankfully, their parents are still in the area! Once the chicks are stable and strong enough, the plan is to reunite them with their parents.

A great team effort and a happy outcome for these two little ones. Thanks to everyone involved in their rescue and care! ❤️

05/11/2026

A little rest and some pain relief was all this daddy Bush Stone-curlew needed!

On Tuesday, Joanne from Alawa spotted this daddy Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) limping in her front yard.

Bush Stone-curlews have very delicate legs that can be easily injured, so it was important to get him checked out. Wildlife rescuer Anita was able to safely catch him and bring him in to the fantastic team at Wild North Veterinary Hospital.

He received a thorough veterinary assessment and pain relief. Thankfully, we found only a small graze on the lateral edge of his tarsometetarsus (lower leg), with some associated soft tissue swelling. There was no evidence of any major damage.

After some rest and pain relief, he was ready to head home and was successfully reunited with his family right where he was found. ❤️ - He's the one with the ruffled feathers looking just a little stressed after his hospital adventure.

If you find injured wildlife, please call our wildlife hotline on 0473 992 581.

We can arrange rapid veterinary assessment and treatment, helping injured animals get the care they need and a safe place to recover before returning to the wild.

27/10/2026

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18/10/2026

Copper and Bella sharing a supervised liberty enrichment activity together to support long term integration.

This session used scatter feeding to encourage calm, relaxed interaction around food while allowing both canines to move freely, make choices, and engage at their own pace.

Rather than asking for stillness or tightly controlled behaviour, the aim was to create conditions where they could:

• forage independently
• move in and out of proximity
• share space without pressure
• practise calm co-existence around a valued resource
• remain responsive to each other’s movement and communication

Liberty-based enrichment can be especially useful because it gives us an opportunity to observe what the canines choose to do when they are not being physically directed.

The food is part of the activity, but the bigger goal is the quality of the interaction.

Calm.
Choice.
Space.
And successful shared experiences.

If you’d like to support Copper and Bella, donations to Darwin Wildlife Sanctuary help with their ongoing health care, nutrition, enrichment, and continued enclosure development — including the work still needed to make the larger enclosure secure for Bella.

Every contribution helps create more opportunities for them to live, explore and interact in ways that support their welfare and wellbeing.

09/10/2026

07/10/2026

🌊🚤She's home. 🚤🌊

Six weeks ago, our rescue boat went down 3km offshore in Darwin Harbour during an emergency. It was a frightening experience for everyone on board, and we're so thankful they all made it back safe. But the boat, our Saltwater Connection, was lost beneath the water.

She meant a great deal to DWS, and a team came together immediately to try to find and salvage her. That first day, the harbour wasn't on our side and we couldn't locate her. After that, lining up the right tides, the right conditions, people who could take a day off work and all the gear we needed seemed almost impossible.

Almost.

This week, a rag-tag crew of volunteers with some very specialised skills pulled it off. Saltwater Connection is back! The ocean and its conditions were perfect!

A huge thank you to Colin, Calvin, Tom, Zac and Joel for coordinating the recovery. To Tom, our amazing boat driver, and to Calvin, the incredibly brave diver who found her and attached every rope and line: you were extraordinary. 👏

In the coming months we'll be asking for your help to get her back on the water. For now, we're simply grateful to have her home.

*Thank you to everyone who has supported us through this.* 💙

01/10/2026

🐾 WORKING BEE THIS SATURDAY – HOWARD SPRINGS 🐾

We need a few extra pairs of hands to finish Bella-proofing the enclosure!

Bella and Copper are settling in well, and the plan is for Bella to join Copper in his larger enclosure. One small problem: Bella is a very creative escape artist. She’s squeezed through the pool fencing and even bent the bars to make her own exit.

We’re about halfway through attaching wire mesh to the outside of the fence.

📍 Howard Springs
📅 Saturday 3 October
🕝 2.30 pm
🔧 2–3 hours—or an hour if that’s all you can spare!

No experience needed. The canines will be safely managed while we work.

Can you spare some time for Darwin Wildlife Sanctuary? Comment below or message me.

Many hands make light work, and Bella considerably less mobile. 😆

20/08/2026

🌈 Another good news story from Wild North Veterinary Hospital !!!

18/08/2026

🦇Another great story from the team at Wild North Veterinary Hospital !!!!!

12/08/2026

🌿🌳🍴Leann enjoying her breakfast browse!🍴🌳🌿