Port Stephens Koala Hospital president Ron Land is outraged after a group of eight to 10 teenagers trespassed at the facility, putting staff and injured endangered animals potentially at risk.
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Mr Land said his anger was only mitigated by the fact no staff or animals were injured during the episode about 9pm on Thursday, January 25, this year.
But he is in no mood for a repeat of the incident and in conjunction with the Port Stephens Council and police a range of additional security measures and increased police patrols have been introduced.
Zoe Pattison, council director of corporate strategy and support, said Port Stephens Council is very concerned about the recent incident at the Koala hospital
"The Port Stephens Koala Hospital and Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary have a number of security measures in place including CCTV and night security patrols
"Council and the Port Stephens Koala hospital are working together on a number of additional measures to improve safety and security at both the hospital and the sanctuary."
CCTV footage shows a group of eight to 10 males and females lighting their way with mobile phones way beyond the public exclusion area where injured, orphaned and ill animals are housed.
"The entire area is a restricted facility. They should not have been in here. They were very, very close to enclosures where we've got vulnerable, ill, injured or orphaned wildlife," Mr Land said.
The group was discovered by a volunteer who had been part of an emergency admissions of an injured koala. She went outside the clinic/admin centre and saw them about 30 metres away.
Despite being startled she bravely warned them off and they ran away into nearby scrubland.
"They might think it's funny, but we certainly do not as they are risking animals lives and putting the security and safety of our staff at risk," Mr Land said. "We're a licensed facility and the public are not allowed in here and that's especially the case at that hour of the day.
"They thought they could come up and do whatever. Whether it would be interact with the animals, which is a serious breach of the law, or break in for drugs or cash"
Michael Hartshorn
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
