Wildlife rehabilitation in NSW

The rehabilitation and release of sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife in NSW is undertaken by over 4000 volunteer wildlife rehabilitators, most of which are organised into groups licensed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

NSW Wildlife Council, Inc 

The NSW Wildlife Council is the peak body representing the interests of these wildlife rehabilitators and is composed of representatives from licensed wildlife groups and individuals. The focus of the NSW Wildlife Council is to improve wildlife care and rehabilitation standards, to foster a cooperative approach between groups and to provide a unified public voice for the wildlife rehabilitation sector in NSW. The NSW Wildlife Council publishes a quarterly newsletter called Wildlife Watch which provides information about its objectives, activities, achievements and aspirations.

Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES)

The Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES) is the largest wildlife rescue organisation in New South Wales. Visit the WIRES website to get phone numbers and website links for your local branch.

Should you find sick, injured or orphaned wildlife or want to get involved with wildlife rehabilitation in your local area contact WIRES or one of the other groups listed below:

Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra

• Hunter Koala Preservation Society
• Ku-ring-gai Bat Colony Committee
• Kangaroo Protection Co-operative
• Native Animal Trust Fund
• Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans (ORRCA)
• Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services
• Wildlife Aid
  PO Box 476, Muswellbrook 2333
  Phone: 02 6543 3012
• Wildlife Animal Rescue and Care (Wildlife ARC)
  PO Box 2308 Gosford 2250
  Phone: 4325 0666.
• WIRES branches around Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra

Northern NSW

• Australian Seabird Rescue
• For Australian Wildlife Needing Aid (FAWNA)
• Friends of the Koala
• Friends of Waterways (Gunnedah)
  PO Box 55, Gunnedah 2380
  Phone: 02 6742 1826
• Great Lakes Wildlife Rescue
  c/-Huntley, The Lakes Way, Bungwahl 2423
• Koala Preservation Society of NSW
• Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers
  PO Box 6439, South Lismore 2480
  Phone: 6628 1866.
• Northern Tablelands Wildlife Carers
• Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers
• Wildlife Carers of Glen Innes
  121 Coronation Avenue, Glen Innes 2370
  Phone: 02 6732 2771
• WIRES branches in Northern NSW

Southern NSW

• Looking After Our Kosciuszko Orphans (LAOKO)
• Native Animal Network Association
• Native Animal Rescue Group
• Wildcare Queanbeyan
• WIRES branches in Southern NSW
• Saving Our Native Animals (SONA) – Adelong/Tumbarumba/Khancoban
  Phone: 02 6946 2222

Western NSW

• Lachlan Wildlife Carers
  'Revenue', Condobolin 2877
• Rescue and Rehabilitation of Australian Native Animals (RRANA)
  PO Box 5089, South Broken Hill
  Phone: 04 2920 4416
• RSPCA Australian Capital Territory Inc.
• Sunraysia Wildlife Carers Group
  PO Box 189, Gol Gol 2738
• Wildlife Carers Network (Central West)
  PO Box 787, Mudgee 2850
  Phone: 02 6374 4286.
• WIRES branches in Western NSW

Documents to download

• See the NPWS policy on rehabilitation of protected animals