Future Programs

     At Fauna Australia Wildlife Retreat we are continually making changes.  Making new enclosures, acquiring new and exciting animals, or removing some of the barriers.  Any change takes time and of course money.  Due to our success with breeding the Rufous Bettong, we now have many free ranging around our facility.  As we breed up many of the smaller species like the Long-nosed Pororoo, Brush-tailed Bettong and Bandicoots, we may soon be letting them out as well to join the Rufous Bettongs and the Pademelons. 

     Our Vision

Our vision is to create a haven for our native wildlife where people can visit, stay and interact with our native wildlife and appreciate their range and diversity.

We want to predator proof parts of our 43 acre property, create grasslands, wetlands and forests and release wildlife back into a semi controlled environments.

We want to provide an area where species from different areas can be housed just in case something drastic happens.  Although species like the Kangaroo Island Kangaroo found only on Kangaroo Island, are very common they are very susceptible to extinction because of their isolation.

By removing very efficient non-native predators from the environment, our native animals do extremely well.  They cannot cope with the high predation by species such as foxes and cats.

Species like Potoroos, Quolls, Bandicoots, Bettongs and Pademelons would flourish and maybe Tasmanian Devils could be re-introduced to Mainland Australia.  Many of these species benefit from cleared and vegetated environments.

The inclusion of Koala feed trees will provide food for wild Koalas injured in the fires that ravage our area, and they would provide the ideal environment to train orphaned wildlife to be wild without the fear of foxes and cats.

Our main goal is to make sure that when Jaryd, Sophie and Chloe have children they have the same wildlife around them as they do now.

Wildlife Rehabilitation

Sadly, it is estimated that over 90% of orphaned wildlife returned to the wild do not survive in their first week of release.  This is because they do not have the complete life skills required to survive.  Many are killed by foxes or cats and many can not compete with the other more dominant animals of their species.

At Fauna Australia Wildlife Retreat we understand the importance of rehabilitating wild animals.  In order to do it successfully it needs to be done properly.  This involves releasing them into purpose built large enclosures and teaching them survival skills like predator identification, what to eat and through interaction with other animals, how to defend themselves and fight for territorial rights.

At present we do not have the resources and funds to do what is required.  We don't believe raising animals in a home environment with dogs and cats is the correct way to raise animals for release back into the wild.  If we took our pet dog into the forest and let it go we would be charged.  Why then can we do it to native animals?  Wild animals injured through human involvement should be cared for, rehabilitated and released.  If it is a product of their environment then it's what being a wild animal is about; Life and Death.

Sadly many places see wildlife rehabilitation as a great promotional tool.  Yes, people do love to hear it.  If wildlife rehabilitation is done, it needs to be done properly.  Limited human interaction, away from family pets, interaction with others of their kind.  The treating of diseased Koalas, caring for them and releasing them back into the wild still carrying the disease they were first brought into care for is not conservation.  It aids in the spread of the disease and continues the problem.  It is good to hear though.

There are several people in our area that have the time and resources to undertake wildlife rehabilitation.  We support what they do.

We are currently concentrating on what we do best, the breeding and preservation of many endangered Australian species that are rare or extinct in the wild.

© Fauna Australia Wildlife Retreat 2009