#76 Andrew and the Future of Wildlife Hospitals (Australia)
Sun Feb 08 2026
What if the key to saving more wildlife isn't treating more animals, but preventing them from ending up in hospitals in the first place? In this episode, host Dr. Cat Vendl speaks with Dr. Andrew Hill, a senior veterinarian at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, one of the world's busiest wildlife facilities treating over 16,000 animals annually. Through his Churchill Fellowship, Andrew traveled 75,000 kilometers visiting ten major wildlife hospitals, uncovering a sobering truth: admissions are rising globally.
Discover how a Minnesota veterinarian triaged 60 cases in under two hours, why Toronto's skyscrapers now go dark during bird migration, and the staffing ratios that prevent both animal mortality and veterinarian burnout. Andrew shares transformative insights on why collaborative long-term strategies, not individual heroics, are reshaping wildlife rehabilitation worldwide.
This podcast episode is also available with the video: https://youtu.be/2yHS3mfqDJM
Links
Learn more about Andrew's findings: https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/andrew-hill-qld-2024/
Check out Andrew's work place, the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital: https://currumbinwildlifehospital.org.au
We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.
More
What if the key to saving more wildlife isn't treating more animals, but preventing them from ending up in hospitals in the first place? In this episode, host Dr. Cat Vendl speaks with Dr. Andrew Hill, a senior veterinarian at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, one of the world's busiest wildlife facilities treating over 16,000 animals annually. Through his Churchill Fellowship, Andrew traveled 75,000 kilometers visiting ten major wildlife hospitals, uncovering a sobering truth: admissions are rising globally. Discover how a Minnesota veterinarian triaged 60 cases in under two hours, why Toronto's skyscrapers now go dark during bird migration, and the staffing ratios that prevent both animal mortality and veterinarian burnout. Andrew shares transformative insights on why collaborative long-term strategies, not individual heroics, are reshaping wildlife rehabilitation worldwide. This podcast episode is also available with the video: https://youtu.be/2yHS3mfqDJM Links Learn more about Andrew's findings: https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/andrew-hill-qld-2024/ Check out Andrew's work place, the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital: https://currumbinwildlifehospital.org.au We'd love to hear from you ... share your thoughts, feedback and ideas.