Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
For those who want to get up close to a Tassie Devil and other native wildlife in an ethical, relaxed and friendly environment.
At Bonorong, you can meet the devils, pat the wombats, koalas and feed and pat the very friendly kangaroos. The roo’s hop up to you for a scratch, they enjoy a nice chest rub the best because their front paws don’t quite. reach. that. spot! If you smell your hands after rubbing the big male kangaroos chests, you will probably notice an orange colour ‘curry’ smelling stain on your hands. (We’re not kidding!) Don’t worry, there are plenty of places to wash your hands and it comes off easily.
Best of all, Bonarong rescue injured native animals and release them back into the wild if they recover. Animals kept at the sanctuary are there because they were unable to be rehabilitated enough to survive back in the wild. Bonarong are also participating in the Tasmanian Devil population insurance program and they are currently working on Tasmanias first native wildlife hospital.
If you’re very lucky you might see Greg Irons (pictured) who as a boy little boy, declared that he would one day run Bonorong. He’s a bit of a local hero with a massive heart, who cares deeply for our wildlife and all matters of conservation.
Best times to visit during the day are for the a guided tours (11:30am, 2pm and 3:30pm daily) where you will get to pat a koala, maybe a baby wombat (if there is one in care) and a chance to see Devils feeding, Most marsupials are nocturnal so they are generally quite sleepy during the day. The night tour is amazing and if you want to see the animals at their most active.
It’s a peaceful, relaxing place for animal lovers with lovely views, perfect for a picnic lunch. There is a little snack kiosk on site.
We get an annual pass every year because it’s one of our favourite places to visit 🙂
for more information go to http://bonorong.com.au/