This article is sponsored content brought to you by Taronga Conservation Society Australia.
Australia’s native species face growing threats. Your expertise could be their lifeline.
Across Australia, veterinarians and veterinary nurses are increasingly the first responders for wildlife in need. From injured koalas to displaced lorikeets, native animals are presented to clinics with complex needs that require specialist skills to achieve the best possible outcomes.
To meet this growing demand, Taronga Conservation Society Australia has developed the Veterinary Professional Training in Wildlife Treatment and Care program, a course designed to give veterinary professionals the confidence and capability to care for the wildlife that comes through their doors.
Whether you’re a veterinarian, veterinary nurse, technician, or final-year veterinary student, this program blends self-paced online learning with the option of practical, hands-on training delivered by specialist wildlife veterinary teams.
Almost every veterinary clinic in Australia will see wildlife patients regularly, and this invaluable course will help guide and instruct you, as vets and nurses, on how best to triage and humanely treat wildlife in need. Similarly, when natural disaster strikes like floods and bushfires, veterinary teams are often the first responders for injured and displaced wildlife. This program equips you with the unique skills and training to ensure that when wildlife needs us most, we can provide the best possible care.
Dr. Rebecca Robey, Veterinary Officer Taronga Conservation Society
Every year, Taronga’s two Wildlife Hospitals treat over 1,500 native animals, giving the team unparalleled knowledge in wildlife health. This expertise is embedded into every module.
• Accredited by the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and the Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA)
• Earn CPD points: 20 for the online course, plus 12 for the optional workshop
• Flexible delivery: Online + optional in-person workshops in NSW, QLD, and VIC
The online course ($200) includes five in-depth modules:
• Core principles of wildlife treatment and care
• Amphibians and reptiles
• Birds
• Mammals
• Koalas (developed in partnership with the University of Sydney’s Koala Health Hub)
Each module takes participants from triage and first aid through to species-specific treatment methods.
The optional one-day workshop ($495) brings your learning to life. Held at Taronga Zoo Sydney, Melbourne Zoo, and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, you’ll work alongside experienced veterinary teams through:
• Case studies
• Diagnostics
• Facility tours
• Hands-on training in triage, treatment, post-care, and necropsy
Since launching in 2020, over 2,200 veterinary professionals have completed the program. The results speak for themselves:
• 50%+ introduced new clinic protocols, from euthanasia guidelines to improved handling and species documentation
• 86% reported greater confidence in treating wildlife
One graduate shared:
As a current practicing wildlife vet nurse, I cannot recommend this course highly enough. There is a wealth of information for professionals at every level, especially those in GP wanting to ensure they can offer the best care to wild patients.
Tahnee
This course is more than professional development – it’s a step toward better outcomes for Australia’s wildlife. By combining flexible online modules with practical, hands-on workshops, it empowers veterinary professionals to deliver higher standards of wildlife care, supporting conservation and giving native species a second chance.
Enrolments now open for Semester 1 – commencing January 2026. Find out more or enrol today: taronga.org.au/education/veterinary-professional-training
