TigerLodge WildCare

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Speewah, QLD
TigerLodge WildCare

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For emergency native animal rescue in Cairns and the Northern Tablelands please call 4093 0761.

TigerLodge Wild Care is located on the Northern Tablelands in Far North Queensland on a 5-acre property with dedicated pens and enclosures for the rehabilitation of native wildlife. Established in 2012 by owners Wilf and Patty, TigerLodge Wild Care is a sanctuary for injured and/or orphaned native species to recover and rehabilitate before being released back to the wild. The relief and recovery work is ongoing, with Wilf and Patty attending rescues day and night and dedicating many hours to the treatment and rehabilitation of animals in care largely at their own cost. Wilf holds current wildlife permits under the 'Nature Conservation Act 1992' for “Species of least concern”, “Seabirds” and “Raptors” which covers most species of birds, mammals, and macropods. These permits are renewed every three years through the Queensland Department of Environment and Science and are issued based on current training and care practices. A purpose-built flight aviary for raptors was completed in August 2021. This page is to recognise and thank those who have gone out of their way to help wildlife that has come into care at TigerLodge. We have met many people who have gone over and above to help an injured animal either by making a special trip to get the animal to care or through donations of goods, services or funds to help support them whilst in care. Should you have any questions, please feel free to message

05/11/2026

What a lovely surprise we had yesterday afternoon!!!

Marlo and Zella came to visit to present us with the money they raised at the Koah markets. Oh and not to forget the fidget!! It is a destress toy for when we get overwhelmed by the influx of animals.

What a wonderful and considerate thought. We understand this isn't the first time these two animal lovers have raised money to help those who look after all creatures great and small.

Thank you - it is much appreciated.

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

01/11/2026

This little echidna was picked up by a caring member of the public in Kuranda. It was just about to cross the road when a car approached and when "rescued", the lady noticed a heavy load of paralysis ticks and leaches on the animal.

Echidnas are widely considered immune to tick paralysis unlike most domestic and some native species (curlews etc) and hence can act as a host to various tick species. However a heavy infestation can cause other issues such as dermatitis and anaemia etc.

Hence we took the echidna home, gave it a nice bath and removed the parasite burden. After a rest and a good feed, we took the animal back to where it was found.

If you do find an echidna needing help, please call wildlife rescue. They are not just prickly to the touch but they are MASTERS of escape. We know of one echidna that escaped from its container in the back of a vehicle. Car seats had to be removed to get the animal out safely!

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

23/10/2026

This is what wildlife rescue is all about - TEAMWORK to benefit the need of the animal!!!

This little Black Kite was taken to Queensland Parks and Wildlife in Chillagoe after being struck by a car. The QPWS ranger phoned The Agile Project for assistance and the bird was picked up by Mike and Leonora out at Chillagoe.

Mike called us for assistance and we could sort out first aid over the phone. This is by no means an easy feat when you are not used to handling birds of prey!! They've got talons and sharp beaks...😃

Realising this bird needed urgent attention, transport had to be sorted as soon as possible. A massive big THANK YOU goes to Suzanne Grasso who drove all the way out to Chillagoe and meet me at Mutchilba on her way back to hand over this bird.

The good news is we could stabilize the kite and he/she made it through the night. But there is a very long way to go yet. We believe this bird was in trouble way before it was struck by a car due to its very poor body condition.

But thanks to everyone involved, there is now a chance the bird will pull through and fly again. 🤞🤞🤞

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

16/10/2026

After three and a half months in care, it was time to release the Lesser Sooty Owl last night. Yes I could have taken a video of its release but being a nocturnal bird, there would have been very little but a black screen with absolutely no sound from the owl flying away.....😆

Hence, I thought I'd post three pictures of when the bird came into care, once it started to get a bit more active and the last shot was just before I took it back to where it came from in Green Forest Rd Kuranda.

As you can tell just from looking at the eyes - there were different needs to be met at the various stages.

Fly free you beautiful creature - let your screeches be heard for many years to come.

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

11/10/2026

As wildlife rescuers we constantly get confronted with both sides of human nature. Whilst we do get angry and frustrated with the action (or lack there of) certain people take, we are always buoyed and amazed by the length and breadth people go to in order to help injured or orphaned wildlife.

Take little Randy here - he was the beneficiary of a dedicated wildlife lover this morning. Rachael was driving from Dimbulah to Herberton towing her horse float when she spotted a dead agile wallaby on the side of the road. Now if you have ever towed a horse float you would know, you can't just slam on the brakes and pull off the road especially when you have a flighty, young horse with you. However rather than hoping someone else will stop and check the pouch, Rachael still managed to do exactly that and found this little boy who did not understand why mum's heartbeat had stopped.

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

09/10/2026

Just for reference on the previous video. This is the magnificent creature we are talking about and it totally escapes me how ANYONE could possibly shoot this bird.
The other picture is the third and final x-ray of the wingtip. You can easily see where the Major metacrapal bone was shattered by the bullet. The body then created a "bridge" linking the bone ends back together. Over the next few months this will improve even more but the structure was solid enough to release. Fortunately, the calcification didn't change the angle the flight feathers sit so the bird could fly strongly as seen in the video.

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

08/10/2026

This White-bellied sea eagle was shot in Tolga and shattered a crucial bone in its metacarpus. After being in care for 11 weeks it was time for the release.
I was thinking the bird would come out of the crate slowly and I had plenty of time to video the release. However he had other ideas which meant I had to slow the video down to half speed.
The keen eye can see the thickened wingtip on the right but his flight is strong.
Fly free and safe you beautiful bird!

06/10/2026

King's Birthday weekend at TigerLodge:
Saturday:
The Laughing Kookaburra was found in a pool in Kuranda and was fished out by the property owner and then came into our care
The Brush Turkey (pic is a stand in for actual bird) was hit by a car in Kuranda which fractured its spine
Sunday:
The Rainbow Lorikeet was found on the ground in Mareeba and couldn't fly. The left wing seems a bit loose but not fractured and will need to be monitored if strapping is required
The young Echidna was found by a member of the public in Brinsmead and taken to the Emergency Vet in Cairns. Nothing broken but a few scrapes which requires some R&R
The homeowner in Kuranda heard squeaking throughout the night and found 5 Yellow-footed Antechinus crawling around her living room. These native mice have a very short lifespan with the males succumbing to exhaustion after a vigorous mating season which cuts their lifespan to only 2 years.
Monday:
The poor Grass Owl in Dimbulah had a triple whammy. Both wings caught in barbed wire and a paralysis tick engorged on its face.
The Agile Wallaby joey from Speewah needs xray to determine whether the leg is fractured as the swelling is pretty bad.
Luckily this lady motorbike rider wore all her protective gear when she cruised through Kuranda and spotted this Lace Monitor who was hit by a car. It had enough energy to firmly grip her jacket until we arrived to assist.

Variety is the spice of life I heard someone say..................

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

02/10/2026

Bit of a "heart-warmer" for the weekend (despite the questionable weather).

This lovely couple from Toowoomba is travelling through Far North Queensland with their four young boys. After enjoying some time out at Chillagoe, they started heading east and shortly after Almaden they saw a dead Common Walleroo by the side of the road. Hubby quickly spotted the moving legs in the pouch and they instantly decided they needed to turn around and check it out.

Now they could have kept driving like several cars before them did and get to Mareeba so the boys could run around in the park instead. But they knew it was important to teach the younger generation the value of our wildlife. Judging by their faces when I met them in Mareeba, they were all glad they stopped and gave this youngster a second chance. Well done!!!!

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

25/09/2026

We accept this isn't a pleasant picture to put up on our page. However as far as dog attack incidents go, this is certainly one of the least confronting.

This Fawn-footed melomy was killed by a dog whilst the pups were desperately hanging on to mum's teats and their own lives. Luckily they all survived the ordeal and are now in care with us.

Sadly, of late we have noticed an increase in dog attacks on wildlife which is a concern to us and should be to most people. We do appreciate it therefore even more, when dog owners ignore their own embarrassment and call us when there are lives that can be saved.

Many people aren't particularly fond of rodents but melomys have an important role of disbursing seeds. They climb trees and scan the area for food. In turn they are also an important food source for birds of prey like the Lesser Sooty Owl.

For wildlife rescue call 4093-0761

Address

Speewah, QLD
4881

Telephone

+61740930761

Website

https://paypal.com/paypalme/tigerlodge

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