When koala mum Mikayla was hit by a car, the dedicated volunteers and staff at Port Stephens Koala Hospital swung into action.

The hospital’s vets operated on Mikayla’s multiple facial injuries while her uninjured joey, Sharon, was cared for in the hospital facility.

To help more injured koalas like Mikayla, the hospital is calling for Return and Earn container donations to fund the purchase of four new intensive care cots.

Each $2,500 cot will be used to help injured koalas on their road to recovery.

Donations from Return and Earn bottles, cans and cartons have already been used to help purchase an x-ray dental plate and an ophthalmoscope for the hospital.

“Port Stephens Koala Hospital aims to help to maintain a safe, healthy koala population so it’s a natural fit to try to help the environment too, by reducing litter,” said Port Stephens Koala Hospital fundraising volunteer Christine Johnson.

“We have developed a great partnership with the Return and Earn scheme over the past seven years. With the ability to fundraise using the app, we have a regular stream of donations and can reach a tech-savvy audience by engaging with our supporters throughout New South Wales.

“Engaging our supporters in this way allows them to donate in a small way – as little as 10c – but still help to achieve huge results.”

Port Stephens Koala Hospital’s Return and Earn campaigns have now raised an amazing $20,000 for the hospital since 2018.

“The funds go towards purchasing a specific item,” Christine explained.

“This way people who donate can see the fantastic result their continuous, small donations have made.”

The dental x-ray machine is used to x-ray facial injuries and provides high resolution dental images, while the ophthalmoscope examines the retina and is used to diagnose eye-related injuries and illnesses.

“This equipment offers improved care for koalas as well as other Australian wildlife. It helps give them a much faster road to recovery and then hopefully be released back into the wild,” Christine said.

Port Stephens Koala Hospital admitted 50 koalas and 310 other species during 2024-25 and conducted 1,368 procedures and assessments of admission over that period.

Vehicle strike, being found in unsuitable environments, dog attack and disease are the main reasons koalas end up at the hospital.

Luckily for Mikayla and Sharon, their story had a happy ending.

Although Mikayla recovered well from the 2023 accident, the severity of her facial injuries meant returning to the wild wasn’t possible. However, she now enjoys life in a multi-koala yard, surrounded by large trees to climb and a fresh selection of leaf is delivered daily. 

Once Sharon was fully weaned from Mikayla and reached the right stage of independence, she was successfully released back into the wild.

“Everyone at Port Stephens Koala Hospital is thrilled to know she’s out there, exploring the treetops where she belongs,” said Christine.

• To donate to the ‘Help rehabilitate our koalas’ campaign, search for Port Stephens Koala Hospital in the charity section of the Return and Earn app.
• Supporters can donate larger quantities of containers via the handy Tag and Drop service at any Return and Earn Depot across the state.
• To learn more about Port Stephens Koala Hospital visit: Port Stephens Koala Hospital - Port Stephens Koalas