From Bush to Better: Helping Koalas & Echidnas Bounce Back

Meet SKER, the wildlife heroes in South Australia and how $3,000+ worth of support is making a real difference.

Who Is SKER?

SKER, short for Southern Koala and Echidna Rescue, is an organisation run by a passionate team of volunteers located in Onkaparinga Hills, South Australia. SKER is dedicated to rescue, rehabilitation, and release of native Australian wildlife, especially koalas and echidnas, while also doing science-driven advocacy, habitat restoration, and supporting research efforts.

They are the only full‑time wildlife vet clinic in SA that operates 24/7 to respond to injured, displaced, or orphaned wildlife.  Their rehabilitation centre is purpose‑built and includes indoor/outdoor enclosures, pre‑release yards, specialist medical equipment (x‑ray, ultrasounds, blood tests) all on site.

How Does SKER Work?

SKER’s work revolves around several key pillars:

24/7 Rescue and Rehabilitation: Injured or distressed koalas, echidnas, and other native animals are rescued at any hour via their free rescue hotline.

On-Site Vet Clinic & Medical Care: Having a fully operational vet clinic on site allows immediate treatment, reducing stress from transport, providing diagnostics (x‑rays, ultrasounds, blood tests) and critical care.

Purpose‑Built Rehabilitation Facilities: Quiet enclosures, pre‑release yards, indoor hospital pens for sick animals, outdoor enclosures for recovery, and protocols to minimise human contact so animals retain natural behaviours.

Habitat Restoration & Research: They engage in revegetation programs, collaborate with universities and other wildlife stakeholders, collect data for research, and advocate for wildlife welfare policies, aiming to reduce threats like road deaths and habitat loss.

Fully Volunteer‑Run & Community Supported: Their operation depends heavily on dedicated volunteers (40+ people, many thousands of volunteer hours) and no regular government funding. All rescue, rehabilitation, conservation and education is supported by public donations.

About A Dog’s Support for SKER

At About A Dog, we believe that even small actions can have big impacts. That’s why we’ve been proud to throw our support behind SKER and thanks to our community, we’ve raised over $3,000 (and the total keeps climbing) for them. This isn’t just money, it’s medical supplies, better enclosures, more chances for koalas and echidnas to heal, and tools for their research and advocacy work.

Every purchase, share, or shout out helps. Your support means that SKER can keep doing what they do best, rescuing wildlife around the clock, giving them a safe space, and fighting for their wild futures.

How You Can Help SKER

If SKER’s work inspires you, here are meaningful ways you can pitch in:

Donate: Every dollar helps maintain their 24/7 rescue service, medical clinic, and rehabilitation centre. All donations $2 AUD or more are tax deductible in Australia.

Volunteer: SKER is run by volunteers. Responsibilities range from habitat revegetation to animal transport, maintenance, events, admin, lots of ways to help.

Spread the Word: Share their mission, stories, and rescue hotline. Awareness can lead to more community support, more rescues reached in time.

Support their Research & Advocacy: SKER’s impact is amplified when people back their research initiatives, habitat work, and policies to protect native wildlife.

Purchase‑With‑Purpose: When you buy from causes that give back to SKER (or when we run SKER‑supporting campaigns), you're contributing directly to the future of SA’s wildlife.