Wildlife carers struggling to cope with mounting numbers of sick and injured animals in south-east Queensland say the style of residential developments and destruction of bushland is to blame.

North Brisbane resident Michael Fowler has seen most of the area's native animals at their worst.

Despite being retired, he is a full-time wildlife carer and is on call 24/7 with the emergency koala ambulance service.

His computer is filled with images of the animals he has saved and the ones that didn't make it — emaciated koalas, possums sporting bloody wounds from dog bites and wallabies dying on the side of busy roads.

"I've actually held animals as they've died from stress," he said.

"Their house has been knocked down or a tree has been knocked down and they just die."

Over the years he's received funding to erect a purpose-built wildlife shelter in his backyard.

It houses everything from cuddly marsupials to birds, snakes and lizards.

Mr Fowler wants to see developers plant more fodder trees for native animals. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Hailey Renault )

A female possum, nicknamed Precious, has spent the past month tucked away in an enclosure in Mr Fowler's garage, nibbling on native flowers, foliage and the occasional cashew nut.

She was found trapped inside a wall cavity at a building site and had rubbed her leg raw trying to escape.

The bright red, festering wound would have been fatal if left untreated.

"While she's in with me her bedding is changed every day and she gets good food and water," Mr Fowler said.

"She's on antibiotics and getting a bit of R and R."

Once Precious recovers, Mr Fowler said it was up to him to release her back to where she was found.

Animals taken out of their territory have been known to cross roads, walk through backyards and traverse other territories to get home.

Precious the possum was found stuck in a wall cavity at a building site. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Hailey Renault )

Acreage blocks disappearing

Mr Fowler moved to McDowall, 20 minutes north of Brisbane, in 2003.

He said the number of acreage-sized blocks had dwindled over the past decade.

"They've all been bought by developers and now have massive apartments and townhouses on them."

Mr Fowler said construction, tree clearing and population growth were taking a toll on the area's wildlife.

"I've seen at least a 30 per cent increase in the amount of roadkill, and a 30 to 40 per cent increase in personal calls I get to go and rescue animals that have been attacked by cats or dogs or hit by cars.

"What is worrying is it's been over a three-year period."

Orphaned possum Ragnar nibbles on a cashew. Mr Fowler will care for him until he can be released into the wild. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Hailey Renault )

Wildlife hospital under pressure

RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said jobs in education and fundraising had been cut to cope with the cost of treating injured animals at its Wacol wildlife hospital.

Queensland is the only state where the RSPCA operates this service, making it difficult to compare what is happening with other states and territories.

Mr Beatty said four years ago around 8,500 native animals and birds were coming through the organisation's doors.

By 2016-17 that figure had grown to more than 21,000, and he expected this year's count to be well over 23,000.

"That's just a horrible figure to increase by that much," he said.

"It's all down to habitat destruction.

"You turn around and see more and more bush being clear-felled and houses going up."

The number of injured animals treated at RSPCA Queensland's wildlife hospital is growing. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Terri Begley )

Unless an animal can be successfully rehabilitated and released in the wild, the RSPCA had the sad task of putting it down.

Veterinarians euthanised 12,864 wild animals last financial year; more than half the total number of wildlife taken in.

Whether an animal is lost or saved, Mr Beatty said keeping the hospital open was an expensive undertaking.

"There has been more [funding], to be fair, with this particular government, but it doesn't even remotely begin to cover those costs."

Mr Beatty said the State Government covered 2 per cent of the $2 million it costs to keep the hospital open.

Green corridors and fodder trees needed

He said the destruction of bushland and wildlife corridors in Brisbane and the Gold Coast was a major problem.

"You drive into Pimpama and there's a big sign with a koala on it that says, 'Conservation area for wildlife', and you turn the corner and everything is flattened.

"They're building houses two feet from each other with no trees whatsoever.

"The irony is that silly sign is still there."

The Gold Coast City Council (GCC) said green spaces were preserved in partnership with private landholders through its voluntary conservation agreement scheme.

It said a $41 levy was also collected from ratepayers every year to preserve, maintain and acquire open spaces.

A spokesperson said every application to develop and clear land was judged on its merits and the council always aimed to achieve the best possible outcome for koalas within the legislative framework provided.

Rescued wildlife feed on a mixture of native and non-native fodder plants. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Hailey Renault )

A Department of Environment and Science spokesperson said it was mandatory for developers to have a wildlife spotter present during some activities, such as development or clearing in koala habitat areas.

Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, people who kill or remove protected animals without authority face two years in prison or a $378,000 fine.

This includes extinct, endangered, vulnerable and near-threatened wildlife as well as more common native animals whose survival is of least concern.

In north Brisbane, Mr Fowler is concerned about loss of important foraging trees for native animals.

"Developers do plant trees, but I don't think enough effort goes into planting appropriate fodder trees like gum trees and eucalypt."

He said he would like to see mandatory cat registration reintroduced and more incentives provided for people to live on larger blocks further away from the CBD.

"I've seen many would-be MPs and local councillors go to any number of meetings with the various rescue groups that I'm involved in all pledging their love for native animals and nothing has ever happened.

"I'm not a NIMBY (not in my backyard), I know people have to live somewhere and the population is increasing, but there's probably better ways to go about housing people than just clearing more acreage, particularly in the northern suburbs."

Mr Fowler said he was concerned that if nothing changed some of the species would be lost forever.

"The extinction of the koala in south-east Queensland, particularly in our area, is going to happen.

"All we can do is care for the ones that are still here."

Brisbane City Council has been contacted for comment.