Have you found injured or orphaned wildlife?
Michael EastwellYou’ve made it to Tasmania – congratulations! You may have come across the world to be with us, or you may live just down the road. We humans are lucky to be able to go almost anywhere we choose.
However, for many of the animals you will meet at Bonorong, Tasmania actually is the last place on Earth they can be found. For others, Tasmania is a last refuge. They are the survivors of legions that once spanned a continent but now this little island in the Southern Ocean is all they have left.
That’s why we are here – to look after Tasmania’s special critters. But we can’t do it on our own. We need you…
You may not know it, but just by walking through our gate you become part of something special. Everything we do, we do with your help. You won’t know just how very welcome you are until you have met some of our animals and heard their stories of survival.
From everyone at Bonorong – including those with two, four or no feet…
Welcome.
Matt PalmerNothing makes us happier than introducing guests to our special animals. Nothing, that is, except seeing them go back to the wild. We operate Tasmania’s largest 24/7 Wildlife Rescue Service and our army of volunteers brings aid to thousands of suffering animals every year.
This service is funded entirely by our entry fees. That means every time we rescue an animal, it’s because someone like you came through our gate.
Bonorong is not a zoo – our aim is to get healthy animals back to the wild. All of them undergo meticulous assessment to ensure they are happy and healthy in our care, which is something we will never compromise on.
Every single one of our animals has a story to tell. At Bonorong you will meet animals that are extinct everywhere except our island refuge.
Our ever-changing menagerie of survivors includes wombats, devils, quolls, native birds, lizards, snakes and emus.
Michael EastwellOur story is about passion (possibly tinged with obsession). As a seven-year-old, Greg Irons came to Bonorong for a birthday party and told his mum, “I’m going to own this place one day!”
He came to work at the then park as a young wildlife keeper and quickly worked his way through the ranks to become manager. By twenty-five years old he had achieved his dream of owning the business when the previous owners decided to pass the baton on to him.
For Greg, Bonorong is a means to help Tasmania’s fragile wildlife and ecology. Since he arrived, Bonorong has changed from a traditional, 1980’s era wildlife park to an innovative and active Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is focused on giving back to the Tasmanian environment, rather than simply being a showcase.
Michael EastwellBonorong is an ethical tourism enterprise, dedicated to the conservation of native species, through wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, education, and experiences that connect people and wildlife.
As an ethical tourism operator, we aim to maximise the positive impacts and minimise the negative impacts that our operation has on the environment, our economy and on society.
We contribute to the ‘conservation of native species’ by providing care to injured, orphaned and displaced animals and by taking all necessary steps to safeguard biodiversity and animal welfare.
And the ‘experiences’ that we facilitate are designed to ‘connect people and wildlife’ in a manner that engenders interest, respect and awareness for the plight of our native fauna and flora.
