By Kath Gannaway
It’s hard not to smile when a mountain pygmy-possum pops in to see how you’re going.
As part of National Children’s Week, Healesville Sanctuary teamed up with the Monash Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, 25 October, to bring smiles and laughter to the hospital’s young patients.
Healesville head vet and acting director, Dr Rupert Baker, sanctuary keeper James and rangers Anna and Lotti also took along a barking owl, a stick insect and a tawny frogmouth for the sanctuary’s seventh wildlife visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
“The magic of children interacting with animals is incredible to see first-hand and it is so rewarding to be able to provide a fun distraction for sick kids,” Dr Baker said.
It’s the first time the sanctuary team visited the new Monash Children’s Hospital which opened in April this year.
The hospital includes an innovative visiting pet park in the wilderness garden with an enclosed outdoor space specifically designed with appropriate surfaces and water troughs to allow families to bring in their pets from home to visit children who are inpatients.
“This would be a great space for dingo puppies to come and visit in the future,” Dr Baker hinted.
So, watch that space for some dingo antics next year?
