Have you found injured or orphaned wildlife?
Tasmania is home to an extraordinarily diverse range of animals, including four marsupial species that are now found nowhere else on planet Earth: the Tasmanian devil, the Eastern quoll, the Tasmanian pademelon and the shy Tasmanian bettong. Our island state is also home to 12 endemic bird species, some of which are among the most endangered in the world.
Over the last 200 years, Australia has recorded the world’s fastest rate of mammal extinctions, and many other species are at increased risk of joining this trend. For the creatures that have made Tasmania their last remaining refuge, we are determined to do all that we can, to prevent them from following in the footsteps of the now extinct Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus).
In 2010 Bonorong established Tasmania’s first 24-hour Wildlife Rescue Service. Today we coordinate in excess of 20,000 calls for help each year and that number continues to rise by roughly 1,000 calls per annum.
In 2013 Bonorong established Tasmania’s only seabird rehabilitation enclosure with a saltwater pool. In 2024 we upgraded our facility to include a purpose-built, computer controlled saltwater pool, specifically suited to seabirds like the Little penguin.
The facility includes two large seaboard enclosures – big enough to provide many birds with the space to fly and build strength for a life back in the wild.
Fundraising commenced in 2010 for the first Bonorong Wildlife Hospital, which opened eight years later in 2018. By 2023, we had outgrown the facility and fundraising began again, this time to build a larger, state of the art of Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Facility. The new facility – roughly 7 times larger than the first – was opened in November 2025 and provides the capacity to treat thousands of animals each year.
At Bonorong, we think and act with sustainably in mind. From drawing our own clean bore water for irrigation, to generating power through solar energy, we are steadfastly focused on minimising our impact on the planet.
Bonorong is an active participant in the Tasmanian Quoll Conservation Program, providing this cunning little carnivore with hope for the future. We have also partnered with mainland conservation institutions such as the Mt Rothwell – Biodiversity Interpretation Centre to help ensure the future of this beloved carnivorous marsupial.
Feline Fix commenced operation in 2023 at an off-site location, but moved to Bonorong in June 2025 following construction of a dedicated cat desexing facility on our Sanctuary grounds.
Feline Fix exists to reduce the impact that feral and roaming cats have on wildlife by preventing uncontrolled population growth through reproduction. The program is partially funded through charitable donations, which allows us to provide discounted desexing services to registered cat rescue organisations and the broader community, particularly those experiencing financial hardship or difficulty accessing veterinary services.
From a conservation standpoint, we actively advocate for cat containment by educating cat owners and the broader community community that a contained cat is a safe cat. Cats that are allowed to roam not only have a devastating impact on our wildlife, but they are also exposed to high levels of stress, the risk of conflict, infection and even death.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (ifaw) believes that ‘every animal matters’ – a value encapsulated by their long-term support for Bonorong Wildlife Hospital. Thanks to the generous support of ifaw, thousands of Tasmanian animals have been given a second chance at life in the wild.
In 2024, ifaw continued its support of Bonorong by pledging a major donation – raised through its members and supporters – towards the construction of our new Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Facility. In 2025, ifaw again threw its weight behind Bonorong, this time co-funding the innovative Bonorong Clinical Outreach Program, which serves to build capacity in the veterinary community through knowledge and information sharing.
