Zoo little beauty
Crikey! The world’s biggest wildlife hospital right here on the Sunshine Coast.
Australia Zoo is keeping Steve Irwin’s dream alive with long-time mate Wes Mannion and federal minister Mal Brough turning the first sod yesterday.
Construction is now officially underway on the $5 million project which will not only house 10,500 animals but also educate tertiary students in years to come.
The existing hospital is a modest, former avocado packing shed which underwent a makeover beforee opened in 2004 in memory Steve’s mum.
Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Worldwide board chairman Wes Mannion, said it was his mate’s dream to establish the world’s largest wildlife hospital to honour his mum - herself a pioneer in wildlife care.
“Steve said to me, ‘I want to build the world’s best and biggest wildlife hospital here in memory of my mum, Lyn Irwin’,” Wes said.
“I looked at the packing shed and I went, ‘Really? You really want to build a hospital here?’
“And he said, ‘Yeah mate, this’ll be perfect’... and he shot off like he normally does and I stoodthere scratching my head.
“That was a few years ago now and I’ll never forget it.” I went out and I got the construction guys there and I said, ‘Ok guys, we’ve got to start building a world-class hospital here.
The hospital, which has been on the cards for about four years, is set to be completed next March.
Once finished, it will be about 15,000 square metres in size and include multiple surgeries, a research area (the current hospital will also go to research), state-of-the-art koala holding facilities and a turtle rehabilitation area.
“Someone said to me the other say ‘Did you ever think Steve thought it would be this big?’ and I said ‘My word he did, Steve always thought massive...he was involved in the design of the new hospital’,” Wes said.
“We came up with some pretty extravagant plans to build this hospital and now iIt’s actually coming to fruition which is so exciting for me because it was one of the things that Steve really, really wanted and it’s just a shame that he wasn’t here to see it – he’s here in spirit.”
In addition to the title of the world’s largest wildlife hospital, the zoo also aims to achieve another world first by gaining a six-star green rating for the medical facility.
“We wanted to make it environmentally friendly ...we wanted to make sure the architect was a real environmental architect and he’s done a great job, I can’t wait for it to be finished,” Wes said.
Federal minister and member for Longman Mal Brough said no stone had been left unturned and it was more than a building, it was a community spirit.
“It’s not just a building, you should see the passion of the people who work out of here, and the volunteers,” he said.