Bonorong Wildlife Rescue
Bonorong operates Tasmania’s largest 24-hour wildlife rescue service. This innovative service provides safety and care to thousands of animals every year. We operate with the assistance of trained community rescuers and the devotion of hundreds of wildlife carers, all of whom donate considerable time, money and energy to helping wildlife in need.
Please call us if you need advice, help or find an animal in need. We can provide advice, assist in finding the nearest help for you and often we will have a rescuer close by who can provide assistance and transport for the animal.
If you find injured or
orphaned wildlife
Keep the animal warm
Keep the animal dark
Keep the animal quiet
Keep handling to a minimum
Do not provide food or drink
Call us straight away for Advice
0447 264 625 (0447 ANIMAL)
Become a Wildlife Rescuer – Anyone Can Make a Difference!
Are you passionate about wildlife but unsure where to start? Good news – becoming a wildlife rescuer is accessible to everyone, regardless of your physical fitness, strength, or previous experience. All you need is to be over 17 and have a car licence.
Bonorong Wildlife Rescue is Tasmania’s largest community-run wildlife assistance service, designed to provide safety and care to thousands of animals every year.
In Tasmania we are the roadkill capital of the world. Over 500,000 animals are killed on our roads on average, every year. Help is desperately needed.
We run free training for the members of the community who are interested on the basics of wildlife rescue and transport. We have over 1,000 Rescuers onboard around the state who volunteer their time to respond to call-outs for injured and orphaned wildlife, these are people who can quickly get to an animal in need and follow the right first aid steps in order to maximise the chances of survival and relieve pain and stress for individual animals.
If you would like to join our training but are unsure if it’s for you, there is absolutely no obligation to sign up to our Rescue Service afterwards, and you'll come away with skills that you can use in the event of a wildlife emergency.
The online sessions run for approximately 6 hours and are absolutely free.
Children are welcome but please be aware we do cover some sensitive topics including euthanasia. Young children do make pretty perfect helpers in many situations, so don't be deterred!
Ready to embark on an exciting journey with wildlife? Join Bonorong as a wildlife rescuer and play a vital role in safeguarding our precious wildlife! view available training dates Below.
Here are a few reasons why rescue may be right For you!
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Short on time, renting, or unable to commit to caregiving? Wildlife rescuing is the perfect fit. No enclosures or setups required – just your willingness to help when you can.
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There's no obligation to take on numerous rescues. Even if you can only manage five a year, you're making a significant difference. You're in control – choose rescues that suit your schedule and comfort level.
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No need to worry about being put on the spot. Receive alerts through an app with hundreds of other rescuers. Analyse the situation, and if it's not suitable for you, simply ignore it – no pressure.
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All Training is completely free of charge. We believe in empowering every individual who wants to contribute to wildlife welfare.
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Our rescuers come from all walks of life – from university students to athletes and individuals with mobility issues. No specific physical skills are required. It's all about choosing the right rescue that aligns with your capabilities.
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No matter where you live in Tasmania, there's an opportunity to help. Wildlife needs assistance across the entire region, and you can be a part of making a positive impact.
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Becoming a wildlife rescuer is an excellent first step towards becoming a rehabilitator. Gain valuable insights into wildlife rescue operations, understand the challenges animals face, and experience the satisfaction of making a real difference.
if you have found an animal
If you're calling after 11pm, please keep calling as it sometimes takes a few rings for us to wake up!
The first few steps when you find injured or orphaned wildlife are always the same. They are all based around relieving stress!
Stress is a powerful killer and must be dealt with straight away. When you find an injured or orphaned animal, you are finding it in it's most stressful time - so keep this in mind.
Keep handing to an absolute minimum, ensure the animal is kept somewhere warm, dark and quiet, and never attempt to provide food or drink for a wild animal.
Consider keeping some simple items in your car such as a torch, gloves, pillow case, towel, beanie, and sturdy box to help if you do find wildlife. Having these items will make relieving stress a lot easier.
Please remember that our rescue service is based on voluntary responses from trained community members.
We love helping every single one of these phone calls but it is a group effort between those who have found the animals, Bonorong, our volunteers, vets and our amazing system of extremely dedicated wildlife carers around Tasmania.
