- Heavily pregnant in 2014, Belinda and Phil bought a 70-acre property to save its emus from being culled and create their dream wildlife refuge
- Together, they launched Mudgeroo Wombat & Wildlife Refuge, caring for injured and orphaned native animals
- After devastating bushfires and financial struggles, a fundraiser raised more than $30,000 to help keep the refuge running
Here Belinda Donovan, 53, from Falls Creek, NSW, tells her story in her own words
Watching the mob of six-foot-tall emus strut around the paddock, I was in awe of how confident they were.
‘They’re magnificent,’ I beamed.
My joy was short-lived when I learned the farm was up for sale and the emus may soon be culled.
Shocked by the news, I made a decision. ‘We’ll take the emus, and the land,’ I said.
Aged 40 and heavily pregnant in June 2014, some thought my husband, Phil, then 52, and I were mad to take on a 70-acre property with emus.
It had long been my dream to set up a wildlife refuge to care for sick and injured animals.
Raised in suburban Sydney, I grew up with chooks in the backyard.
But my passion for animals grew when I studied zookeeping and veterinary nursing at uni aged 19.
I became a wildlife veterinary nurse at Western Plains Zoo, NSW, where I hand raised rescued kangaroo and wombat joeys, then I ran Chum Creek Wildlife Shelter, Vic.
In 2011 when my mum, Rosalie, became sick with Huntington’s disease, I moved to the NSW South Coast to care for her.
I began volunteering at Wildlife Rescue South Coast, rehabilitating injured native animals including several orphaned wombats.
Meeting Phil, a helicopter maintenance engineer who was also volunteering in 2012, we instantly clicked.
READ MORE: ‘Aussie wildlife warrior: I’m raising my kids with koalas!’
‘Wildlife is my passion,’ I told him, sharing my dream of one day running my own sanctuary.
Phil was keen to learn about animals and I helped him get his wildlife carer certificate.
He was so passionate about it, it was one of the things I loved about him.
We started dating and, after Phil sold his house, we were looking for a property to buy.
That’s when I spotted the emu farm backing onto our rental up for sale.
Visiting the farm I was sure I’d found the perfect spot for my refuge.
By the time we got the keys in August, we’d just welcomed our son Marcus.
It was a challenge taking such a huge leap with a newborn.
A string of volunteers helped us move wombats and wallabies I was rescuing at the time.
And waking up in our new home to the sound of lorikeets and kookaburras, I felt so at peace.
Outside, I’d watch the emus strut about, along with wild kangaroos, bandicoots, possums, echidnas, and more.
As I juggled breastfeeding Marcus, Phil helped feed the baby wombats alongside working.
READ MORE: ‘Aussie wildlife carer: ‘I’m a dad to wombats!’’
We married 10 months later, in 2015, with 10-month-old Marcus.
Launching Mudgeroo Wombat & Wildlife Refuge, we immediately got calls to rescue injured native animals from the area.
Back home, I’d place baby Marcus in his pram as I picked up wombat joeys nestled in pouches and fed them bottles.
Now a registered wildlife carer, Phil juggled working full time and building enclosures for the wildlife that were brought to us.
But it wasn’t just furry, feathered and scaly animals we encountered.
Located just 14km from the coast, we were often called on to look after injured sea animals such as turtles, sea snakes, or birds such as pelicans.
No creature was off limits for us, if it was in need of help!
Mum was in a care home, and I was devastated when, in October 2019, she passed away at just 64.
That December, smoke filled the sky as bushfires raged through the South Coast and other parts of the country.
Marcus went to stay with friends in a caravan park, while I transported the baby joeys to a friend’s property where I stayed.
The wombats remained safely in their burrows but the emus couldn’t be moved, so Phil stayed to protect them and the house. I was terrified for them.
‘We’re safe,’ he told me over the phone on New Year’s Day, as the fire missed the property.
READ MORE: ‘A Wildlife Warrior At 3!’
Sadly many other wildlife centres nearby weren’t so lucky.
But strapped for cash due to the cost of running the wildlife centre, including feed, electricity, and maintenance, we worried we might have had to sell our home as well as the centre.
The following year, our friend Alison started a fundraiser to help with running costs.
We were overjoyed when kind strangers donated more than $30,000 to keep us afloat so we didn’t have to sell our land.
As Marcus grew, he got used to living next to animals and being vigilant if there were venomous snakes around.
But with so many animals in our care, there’s never a dull moment.
‘Mum, there’s a lamb in the kitchen,’ he said one day, referring to our pet Lucy, who’d worked out how to open the screen door.
Another day, our whole flock of chickens managed to find their way inside.
Marcus, now 12, loves helping Phil out around the property, building enclosures and feeding the emus and lambs.
When he’s old enough, Marcus can’t wait to get his wildlife carer certificate too.
All the native wildlife that are rescued are released, if they survive.
We have permanent animals with us too, including over 30 emus, who’ll spend the rest of their days with us.
One of our biggest animals is Tinkerbell – a water buffalo weighing nearly 1000 kilos.
She and her friend, a miniature bull named Justin, wake us every morning with a moo.
We’ve also got goats, three turtles, Bambi the deer, Chuck the bearded dragon, plus carpet pythons Angel and Sinead.
Thankfully, we have 12 amazing regular volunteers to help out, enabling us to take four or five days off a year, but we never stray far away just in case the animals need us.
We’re hoping to set up as a wildlife hospital and, with Phil retiring due to medical problems, we rely on donations to keep the centre going.
Caring for wildlife is my lifelong passion, and I’m thankful every day for the honour of being able to care for these beautiful creatures.
To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/save-our-sanctuary-mudgeroo-jervis-bay
