Willy makes a wally of himself

UQ veterinarians have helped one of Dreamworld’s star wombats Willy recover from a broken hip.

Willy, a three-year-old common wombat, broke the top of his hip in July after falling off a log.

UQ’s Small Animal Clinic veterinary team led by senior surgeon Lyn Minhinnett, successfully operated on Willy piecing his broken thigh bone back together.

Dr Minhinnett said it took one and half hours to reattach the bone with a three-centimetre-long screw, similar to that used in dog operations.

She said the break was a near an important muscle group used for digging and burrowing so the team borrowed a wombat skeleton from UQ’s Zoology department to help guide them during surgery.

Willy was also one of the few wombats to be given epidural anaesthesia.

Dreamworld veterinarian Vere Nicolson said he took Willy to UQ because he wanted experts to perform the complicated surgery.

“It was very tricky surgery because the break was very close to the nerve which runs along the hip bone,” Mr Nicolson said.

When Willy awoke, he sported a cheeky new hairdo as his right hind leg had been shaved to the hip for 20 stitches.

Mr Nicolson said his stitches were out, he had been walked in a harness and was back to sniffing and burrowing.

He said it might take months for Willy to grow back his fur trousers but he believed Willy would be back visiting children as part of Dreamworld’s school education program soon.

Willy’s girlfriend Tilly was even showing renewed interest.

Dr Minhinett said UQ had a close relationship with many nature and tourist parks such as Dreamworld and Sea World.

“UQ Veterinary clinic surgeons, anaethetists and radiologists have treated many native animals as well as tigers, lions, polar bears, sea lions, monkeys and even an elephant.”

Media: Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (3365 2619)