Chordata & Ko. Wildlife Shelter

29/03/2026

Possum a little…drained..

This is a common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) who was found down a drain at a local school in Cranbourne! Thankfully to the skilled eye of the teachers and students, the young possum was found and called for rescue immediately. Once we arrived the possum was in good condition, but had somehow crawled through the pipes to get to this drain, and was confused how to return. We retrieved the possum and gave it some delectable treats before releasing back to the wild. The possum sustained no injuries, just maybe a bruised ego and some mild dampness to the head!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at The Dingley Hotel, or alternatively head to our website to see how you can help

22/02/2026

Hungry little fella!

This is a rainbow lorikeet fledgling (Trichoglossus moluccanus) who was found by a member of public with a slight concussion; after a vet triage. This bird was very hungry once placed into our outdoor enclosures, and immediately went to their bowl of nectar and buried their head! Rainbow lorikeets are predominantly nectar-eaters, however will dabble in fruits, seeds and even insect larvae! This lorikeet has since been released back to the wild!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at Kealba Hotel, or alternatively head to our website to see how you can help

25/01/2026

Stay cool!

Here at Chordata & Ko. We are very fortunate to not have been impacted by the current bushfires spreading across our state, but our thoughts go to the people and wildlife who are managing through this time! A shout out to the shelters and individuals working through this period to reduce any impacts, and we hope these events are brief and recoverable! This is a magpie-lark, also known as a mudlark (Grallina cyanoleuca) who was found with an injured leg, wing and some heat stress. After some veterinary care and rehabilitation we have successfully released the bird back to the wild! During this period, it is important we leave some water dishes out in our backyards, in a nice shaded area, with some sticks inside so our wildlife can seek some refuge during the heat!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at Boronia Hotel, or alternatively head to our website to see how you can help

04/01/2026

Butcher, or purveyor of fine meats?

This is a Grey butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus) who was bought into rehabilitation, after being found by a member of public struggling to fly. After a quick visit to the vets, it was determined this was a juvenile bird, still navigating its new world away from the nest, and had sustained a mild concussion. After a few days rest in our aviaries, the bird was feeding independently and flying around effortlessly. The bird was released back to the wild, to sing its melodic song once again! Butcherbirds are noted for their beautiful bird song, however are ferocious hunters who have been known to take small chicks and reptiles for a lunch time snack!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at Berwick Springs Hotel, or alternatively head to our website to see how you can help

21/12/2025

Short stay!

This is a rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) who was found by a member of public on the ground. After being taken to the vets, the bird was found to be a tad heat stressed and concussed. We were contacted to provide short term care, and after some hydration and sweet nectar, the bird was exponentially improving. The next morning the bird was calling, and four other lorikeets began to hang around the aviary calling back. After observing behaviours consistent with releasability, we decided to soft release the lorikeet, where instantaneously the bird flew out and joined the flock awaiting them! The flock of rainbow lorikeets then departed after a quick catch up, and flew out into the neighbouring eucalyptus trees!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at Kealba Hotel, or alternatively, head to our website to see how you can help

07/12/2025

And off they go!

These are some common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) who were recently released! We got to watch these possums grow from small joeys, through to sub-adults in preparation for release. All four of the joeys came in as they were found by members of public with no parents to be found. Thankfully for these members of public, these joeys got a second chance at survival, and have grown up to be reintroduced to the wild! Another success story, but definitely not the end of the book! Now we’re back to it again with another group!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at The Hop Shop Frankston, or alternatively, you can head to our website to see how you can help

Help support our australian native wildlife

23/11/2025

That’s so Raven!

This is a young Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides) who was found by a member of public resting in their bush for several days. The quick thinking from the member, prompted them to contact us for some assistance. After some investigation, it was found that the Raven was just a young bird who was learning its way around the world, and with its parents watching from nearby, we deemed the case to not need any intervention. A day or two later, the Raven flew off with its parents. Always a good reminder to everyone, that not all situations require intervention, and sometimes the animals are just taking some break time whilst learning!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at Edwardes Lake Hotel, or alternatively, head to our website to see how you can help

16/11/2025

Behind a glass and hard place!

We recently received a call from a concerned member of public who found this common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) between their screen and sliding door. Thankfully the possum was just hiding when the light was turned on, and when advised to turn the light off, the possum dislodged itself and returned back to the trees. Possums are very agile animals, and if they can get their head through, generally they can squeeze their body too! This was a great outcome for our wildlife, no injuries and back to the trees!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at Boronia Hotel, or alternatively, head to our website to see how you can help

09/11/2025

Release ready!

A few months ago we were asked to rehabilitate a concussed fledgling rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) who was found on the ground by a member of public. To our surprise, this was a nestling lorikeet with its downy feathers and only starting to grow its flight feathers. We attempted to reunite the chick with its parents, but found that the tree hollow it was in, had be destroyed by the weather and the parents were nowhere to be found. In a turn of events, and perhaps destiny, when rummaging through the remains of their hollow, we found another nestling lorikeet, assumably a sibling, who had an injured leg most likely from when the hollow dismantled. We paired the two together for a few weeks of intensive care, and after a while they were both fighting fit, self feeding and fully feathered, ready to strengthen their muscles in an outdoor enclosure. Both rainbow lorikeets have now been released back to the wild, our favourite story line!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at YOMG Berwick, or alternatively, head to our website to see how you can help

02/11/2025

Up and out!

Our four common ringtail possum joeys (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) have now graduated to their outdoor aviary! This is an older image from a couple of weeks ago, but we don’t like to disturb them when they’re outside unless necessary. This group has formed strong bonds often seen feeding together and snuggling up during the day. It’s truly astonishing how such trauma can result in such positivity!

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at Edwardes Lake Hotel, or alternatively, head to our website to see how you can help

26/10/2025

Beak & Feather

Have you heard of Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD)? This is a ruthless disease that is spread by direct contact, and is lethal to our psittacine family, such as our rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus). This bird was found on the ground unable to fly, and was collected by the member of public and taken to the vets. The vets triaged the bird, and due to the elongated beak, substantial feather loss, lethargy and many other factors, it was found that the bird had PBFD. If you suspect you have a bird with this disease, contain the bird, always wear disposable gloves when handling, and seek veterinary assistance immediately. Sadly there is no cure, but we can help assist in reducing the disease prevalence.

If you’d like to support our efforts, you can utilise one of our donation boxes located at YOMG Berwick, or alternatively, head to our website to see how you can help