The Wildlings Woodend Wildlife Shelter

24/06/2026

Can you guess the species?

It’s so rewarding seeing wildlife return to where they belong.

This nocturnal bird spent time in our care before finally being given the chance to fly free once again. While this footage might look a little unusual, it’s because it’s captured using thermal imaging, allowing us to watch the release in a completely different way.

Every release is a reminder of why wildlife rescue & rehabilitation matters. Behind every animal is someone who stopped to help & every second chance is made possible by the kindness of our supporters.

Fly free, little one.

Il practice not being so shaky for the next video 😬

22/06/2026

There’s a reason Chris has inspired thousands of people to fall in love with Australia’s incredible wildlife. These school holidays, the amazing team at Wild Action will be running interactive wildlife workshops at Jubilee Hall, Macedon, where children and families can discover our unique native animals up close.

It’s a fantastic opportunity for nature lovers of all ages to learn about our incredible wildlife while hearing about—and perhaps even meeting—some of Australia’s most critically endangered species.

Chris has an incredible gift for inspiring people of all ages. His passion for wildlife is infectious, making every workshop fun, interactive and engaging while encouraging a lifelong appreciation for our native animals.

There’ll be plenty of hands-on experiences, fantastic photo opportunities and the chance to meet Chris and his passionate team.

Here at The Wildlings, we are incredibly grateful to be one of two wildlife organisations chosen to benefit from these workshops. Every booking directly helps us support the rescue and care of injured, sick & orphaned native wildlife, making it a wonderful way to enjoy a memorable family experience while giving back to wildlife conservation.

If you’re looking for something fun, educational and meaningful these school holidays, be sure to book a spot.

And a big thanks from us, to Chris, Erin & their team for everything they do.
Wild Action 🐨 🦘 🦅 🦎 🐸

22/06/2026

You’re listening to the sound of an endangered species.

Imagine if wildlife could tell us one thing.

What do you think it would be?

We think it might be something as simple as:

“Slow down.”

Slow down on our roads.
Slow down before clearing habitat.
Slow down long enough to notice we’re here.

Because extinction doesn’t happen all at once. It happens quietly… one species at a time.

They won’t scream from the treetops. They can’t hold protests or plead for help. They simply disappear… one by one.

It’s happened before. In fact, Australia has one of the highest mammal extinction rates in the world, and many of our birds are now following the same path. We’d be foolish to believe it couldn’t happen again. The Gang-gang Cockatoo and the Greater Glider are just two of the many native species already fighting for their future.

The animals we’ve always taken for granted could simply… no longer be there.

Wildlife won’t disappear with some large announcement. It will disappear without a sound.

And that silence will be deafening!

We owe it to them.
We owe it to ourselves.
And we owe it to the generations that follow us.

To stop. To look. To truly consider the impact our choices have on the wildlife that shares this country with us.

Because if we continue down the same path we risk losing the very creatures that make Australia so unique, so wild, and so incredibly beautiful.

The question isn’t whether we can make a difference.

It’s whether we’re willing to.

21/06/2026

Yesterday was a great day for a release 😁

We had the privilege of returning this beautiful white-faced heron to his home in Creswick after a short stint in care.

He was originally rescued by a wonderful gentleman named Steve, who noticed rubbish tightly tangled around those gorgeous long legs. Steve carefully brought him to our shelter, where we were able to gently remove the rubbish before giving him the time he needed to recover.

Yesterday, he was ready to go home.

Watching a healthy wild bird spread its wings and return to where it belongs never gets old.

A huge thank you to Steve for caring enough to actively help this gorgeous bird! Without people like him, stories like this don’t always get the chance to have such a wonderful ending.

19/06/2026

We’ve certainly been kept busy over the past two days.

In just 48 hours we’ve attended 8 rescues, all during the evening or through the night when it often seems hardest for wildlife to find help.

A big thank you to Lea, who rescued a small wombat joey after her mother was killed in Lancefield. The little one has now been transferred to a specialist carer for wombat pinkies.

We’re also seeing more people contacting us directly for wildlife emergencies. While we’re always happy to help where we can, we strongly encourage everyone to contact Wildlife Victoria first. They have a database of rescuers (including us) and may be able to locate someone closer or available sooner. Here at The Wildlings, it’s literally just the two of us, and there are times we’re already out on rescues, at work or tending to the wildlife already in our care.

To everyone who stops, makes the call, safely contains an injured animal when appropriate, or helps transport wildlife to care—thank you. So many of these animals only get a second chance because someone cared enough to act.

These past two days have been another reminder that wildlife emergencies don’t stop when the sun goes down. They happen in the cold, the rain and the darkness, and every rescue is only possible because people choose compassion over convenience.

Also a big thanks to Manfred from Kyneton who rescued and transported a ringtail possum to us on Saturday night, we are very pleased with her progress so far and so grateful you kept trying to find her help, it certainly has given her another chance at life.

Thank you for caring about our wildlife. It truly does make all the difference.

15/06/2026

We’re so happy to see our local police officers getting the recognition they deserve for the incredible role they play in keeping not only our community safe, but our beautiful native wildlife as well.

To our local officers—thank you. We see what you do, and we’re incredibly grateful.

As for little Wilma, we’re thrilled to say she’s beginning to settle into her new surroundings. She spends most of her day snoozing peacefully in her pouch, waking only for feeds and, of course, to gently nibble on Karl’s finger.

Victoria Police
Vets For Compassion

13/06/2026

Kenny Goes Home!

Kenny arrived in care unable to fly after sustaining an injury to his wing.

X-rays thankfully showed no fractures or breaks, but soft tissue injuries can take time to heal. His rehabilitation began in a smaller aviary to limit movement while he recovered. Once he was ready, he graduated to a larger enclosure where he could exercise & rebuild his strength.

While he was a rather impatient patient and clearly missed being out in the world, Kenny was always a gentle boy. Between the anti-inflammatory treatment, rest, and plenty of opportunities to strengthen his wing, he made excellent progress.

Watching wildlife recover and return to where they belong is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.

Good luck, Kenny. You were loud, you kept us entertained, and we wish you all the very best out there.

11/06/2026

Wilma’s story.

Yesterday was Thank a First Responder Day, and it seemed fitting to share the story of one Kyneton police officer whose compassion changed the outcome for a little wombat joey.

Local police officer Josh was already busy responding to other jobs when he attended a wombat that had suffered catastrophic injuries.

Before leaving the scene, he did something not everyone thinks to do.

He checked her pouch.

Inside was a small joey.

Had Josh not taken those extra few moments, two lives would have been lost last night.

Instead, he carefully removed her, wrapped her up, made sure she was warm, and tucked her into a pouch he carries in his patrol car. Despite being on duty and actively responding to other incidents, he contacted Wildlife Victoria and made sure she received the help she needed.

That call brought her safely into our care.

Between policing jobs, Josh met with Mel and gently handed her over. He even gave her a name.

Wilma.

Wilma is alive today because he took the time to look.

Most people think of police attending crimes, accidents and emergencies. What they don’t often see are the countless times officers stop for injured wildlife, check a pouch, move an animal from danger, stay with it until help arrives, or make the difficult decision to relieve suffering when no one else is available.

The truth is that police officers do far more for wildlife than most people will ever see and it largely goes unrecognised.

So while we’re a day late, today we’d like to say thank you to Josh and to all the police officers who show compassion when it matters most.

Wilma can’t thank him herself.

But she is alive because of him.

And that’s worth recognising.

09/06/2026

We are incredibly relieved to hear this news.

For many years we have been advocating for innovative solutions to help reduce the number of wildlife killed on our local roads. From Karl speaking at the Parliamentary Inquiry into Wildlife Roadstrikes, to both of us installing and maintaining our own wildlife warning signs in an effort to protect koalas and other native species, this has been a cause close to our hearts for a very long time.

This outcome has been years in the making and reflects the efforts of so many passionate locals who have refused to let the issue be ignored.

While there is still much work to do, this is a positive step forward and proof that community advocacy can make a difference.

The link to the article is in the comment section 🙂

Reducing wildlife roadstrike is a top priority for Macedon Ranges council, with a project to address it outlined in its new Biodiversity Strategy.

Read more below.

05/06/2026

Winter is here & it’s so important that pouches are checked as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary losses like this sweet little joey.

Had someone made the call, he may have had a chance to be rescued, cared for, and raised. That chance was never afforded to him. Instead, he died alone from exposure and the elements, tucked inside his deceased mother’s pouch while hundreds of cars passed by.

Posts like these often attract comments such as, “So what? There are millions of them.” But surely most of us can agree that no animal, and no defenceless baby, deserves to die slowly on the side of a road.

His story didn’t have to end in death.

If you see a marsupial on the roadside, please don’t assume there is nothing more that can be done. Check the pouch if it is safe to do so, or if for any reason you can’t, please call for help. One phone call could be the difference between life and death for a joey still waiting for its chance.