About Us
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The Chidlow Marsupial Hospital is located on a five acre bush property adjacent to State Forest on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia. The hospital is also the home of Liz and Mark Appelt. Liz is a qualified veterinary nurse and lecturer in Marsupial Care who has devoted her life to the care of Australia’s native animals, and in particular its marsupials. She runs the hospital with the help of a small band of dedicated volunteers. The hospital has been in existence for over 15 years and became an incorporated association in 2004. The function of the hospital is to: • Treat and care for sick, injured and orphaned marsupials |
Most of the animals brought to the Hospital are orphaned or injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents, shootings, domestic pet attacks or poisonings. The animals are treated and cared for until they can be either released or re-homed. The animals come from all over the State, including outback communities and remote mine sites
The most common animals treated and cared for include Red and Grey Kangaroos, Euros, Western Brush Wallabies and Brush Tail Possums. However Agile wallabies, Tammar Wallabies, Nail Tail Wallabies, Marlas, Quokkas, Quendas, Woylies, Dunnarts, Chudiches, Ring Tail Possums and Pigmy Possums are also in residence from time to time. The Hospital also has a resident wombat.
Caring for the animals is a full time 365 days a year labour of love for Liz and her helpers. The hospital does not charge for its services and relies on donations, sponsorship and income earned by Liz from education programs, tourism and other wildlife related activities to meet its costs.
The Hospital is a private residence, however tours to meet and learn about the native animals can be arranged by phoning Liz on (08) 9572 4165.
About Liz
Liz qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1982 and soon after took on the task of raising a kangaroo joey that was left at the clinic where she worked. This fired her interest in native animals and she has been caring for them ever since.
For many years Liz worked with the well known wildlife veterinarian Dr Andy Keefe at the Eastern Hills Veterinary Clinic in Mundaring. She established the Chidlow Marsupial Hospital in 1992 after moving from Orange Grove to Chidlow.
Apart from caring for orphaned joeys, Liz treats sick and injured animals brought to the Hospital, attends call outs to injured wildlife in the Shire of Mundaring and provides advice to other carers. She is contracted to the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) to display and talk about native animals at the Perth Hills National Parks Centre and other venues around Perth.
Liz also lectures in Marsupial Care to Veterinary Nursing and Animal Care students at Bentley College of TAFE and for 18 years lectured at virtually all of the DEC carers courses. She also runs weekend courses in wildlife treatment and care for interested veterinary students from Murdoch University.
Her dedication to wildlife was recognized in January 2003 when she was awarded the Premier’s Australia Day Citizenship Award for the Shire of Mundaring.
