Tamar Valley Wildlife Care and Rescue

23/09/2025

You’ve heard the whispers, some have seen the signs… and it’s finally happening!

THE FORTH VALLEY VET IS ON THE MOVE!

We’re so excited to announce that we will be opening the doors to our brand-new clinic on Monday 13th October 2025.

This move is all about giving our patients and their families the very best care in a fresh, modern space, complete with state-of-the-art equipment and purpose built facilities designed with your comfort in mind.

Our new clinic has been a project many years in the making, from the design and planning through to the finishing touches currently being completed.

You will still find the same caring team and the warming charm you know and love, now with a fresh new touch to make every visit even better.

All of our valued clients will be receiving details about our new address shortly, so keep an eye out.

We can’t wait to welcome you and your pets to our new home and share this exciting new chapter with you.

Stay tuned for more updates (and a few sneak peeks) as we count down to opening day!

11/09/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/16tEGgJYYY/

🦘 I N J U R E D W I L D L I F E 🦘

If you hit an animal:
‼️ Stop and check (only if safe to do so)
‼️ Move the animal off the road.
‼️ Check the pouch for a joey. Joeys can survive for some time even if the mother has died, but will eventually dies slowly from starvation or the cold...

If you find a joey in a pouch:
‼️ If it is still attached to the teat, do not pull it off, as this can cause serious injury. Take the mother as well.
‼️ If it is not attached, gently place the joey in a flannel, pillowcase, or warm jumper. Keep it in a quiet place.
‼️ Do not give food or water.

Call for help immediately or take the joey to the nearest vet clinic.

If you find an injured bird:
‼️ Wrap it in a towel.
‼️ Place it in a dark, quiet box if possible.

Reporting injured or orphaned wildlife:
Call Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary on 0447 264 625 (24/7).
If the line is busy, leave a message and they will call you back.

⚠️ Do not handle snakes, bats, or platypus, as they can cause dangerous injuries or transmit disease unless you are an experienced rescuer. ⚠️

28/04/2025

What do plasma donors and Tassie devils have in common? They both need saline to maintain blood volume.

We donate leftover saline and bandages to over 100 vet clinics and animal rescues across the country to help save the lives of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife. All this, while reducing waste and repurposing saline that us humans can't use.

09/04/2025

With only a month until the next face to face training for wildlife rehabilitation, we encourage you to check this out!

We are very lucky to have (for the very first time) the training held in Riverside - which is very handy for any prospective new wildlife carers!

Hope to see plenty of new faces there (we desperately need you!) 🥰🦘

Thousands of animals need rescue and rehabilitation assistance in Tasmania every year, and more wildlife rehabilitators are needed to help with the increasing numbers of calls in Tasmania to assist sick, injured and orphaned native animals.

03/04/2025

The west tamar is one of the fastest growing regions in Tasmania, but unfortunately we have very low numbers of wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators to assist injured and orphaned animals, and we are in desperate need of assistance in our area.

If you feel you are in a position to assist with wildlife rescues (this is not a rehabilitation course) or even just to learn more about rescuing with the potential of becoming a future rescuer, we encourage you to sign up for Bonorong's free online course being held this weekend.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Z7NTAYR8V/

Just THREE DAYS until our next FREE Online Wildlife Rescue Training Course! 😀

Are you passionate about helping wildlife in need? Would you like to become a Wildlife Rescuer? 🐾

There's still time to sign up. Join us on SUNDAY 6TH APRIL 2025 to learn the basics of Wildlife Rescue and Transport! 🚑

If you would like to join our training course, but are unsure if it's for you, there is absolutely no obligation to sign up to our Rescue Service afterwards. Either way, you'll come away with skills that you can use in the event of a wildlife emergency! 🦘

The online session runs for approximately 6 hours and is absolutely free. ❤️‍🩹

Follow the link to register ⬇️
https://www.bonorong.com.au/wildlife-rescue-training

22/03/2025

**WARNING - DISTRESSING IMAGES**

**UPDATE - for anyone looking for the roadkill reporting app, This is the link with information on how to install.
https://nre.tas.gov.au/wildlife-management/living-with-wildlife/tasmanian-wildlife-roadkill/tasmanian-roadkill-reporter-app

Only a few hours ago, this healthy boy was alive and out sniffing for food. He tried to cross a road. He is no longer alive. The person who hit him did not stop to check if he was ok. Or gently lay him to rest away from the road. He was in a 60 zone, 2 minutes from my house. I found him and gave him dignity as well as reported his loss of life via the NRE roadkill app.

This time of year, devils and quolls will be on the move for new territory (males especially); and with rain or full moons you will notice more wildlife attracted to roadsides.

We all can do our little bit to help keep our wildlife safe.

When driving at night, watch for wildlife, lower your speed when you know you're in a wildlife zone, and if you do happen to hit an animal (accidents happen!) or see a hit animal, take the time to remove the animal off the road and check for pouch young (if and when it is safe to do so. Ensure you adhere to all safety rules when you do this). If you come across an animal with pouch young or still alive, we recommend that your first point of call is Bonorong Wildlife Rescue Hotline, as they have a farther reach than most individuals (and the majority of us are also registered Bonorong rescuers). Their best contact is 0447 264 625. The hotline team receive hundreds of calls a day, but they will always get back to you and do their best to assist, and in our area, we may have very few rescuers, but we definitely will do our best to help.

We know seeing images like these are distressing and confronting. Sadly, as rescuers and rehabbers, accepting that the majority of the rescues we attend are for animals with injuries not compatible with life (or quality of life) is our reality. It is tiring and disheartening. However, we do our best to ensure they receive compassion and care no matter what the outcome. Images like this may be difficult to view, but this is the reality of living in a State, where so few mitigation processes exist for the protection our wildlife and roads.

Rest easy, beautiful little man.

18/03/2025

People have asked what they can do so, if sticky traps are still available in your area, feel free to lend your voice to mine and email your local environmental minister. In Tasmania, that is currently The Hon Madeleine Ogilvie.

A template is below: ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to provide my support to a proposition to ban the use of, sale or import of non-caged sticky insect traps in Tasmania.

Our native, protected wildlife are dying needlessly due to human interference and indulgence, so I wholeheartedly back any action to eradicate the use of these traps.

Sticky insect traps pose a significant risk to our wildlife both while the traps are in use, and in situations where they are carelessly disposed of. Animals caught in these traps have a very low survival rate and more often perish slowly and painfully from stress, dehydration, starvation, poison ingestion or physical injury (including self-mutilation).

As a concerned member of the public, I add my voice to this cause and I implore the government to take action and save our precious wildlife.

28/02/2025

Every little helps

29/01/2025

The app can be also utilised for any species within Tasmania.

29/01/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19Xm6rBPJo/

Have you noticed any young devils out and about?

It’s the time of year when baby devils leave their mums to venture out on their own. They are small, quick and not very road savvy – so it’s especially important to slow down and take extra care while driving between dusk and dawn.

If you see any roadkill, report it on our app, but only when it is safe to do so. The app makes it easy for you to report roadkill. The data provides important insights for road owners, managers, and other groups to help inform roadkill reduction strategies in the state.

Remember it is illegal to touch your mobile phone while driving or waiting at traffic lights!

For more information and to install the app: https://nre.tas.gov.au/roadkillapp

03/12/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15jCmcBMN8/

~Before It’s Too Late~

When you find a life, fragile and small,
It’s not just a rescue, it’s a duty to call.
The pain of the moment, the urge to protect,
Please just do the right thing and give respect.

Hand him to those trained, who know what’s best,
Be honest, because he deserves nothing less.
For every delay, every moment too late,
Means more suffering, more sealed fate.

A wildlife carer, with hands more skilled,
Is left to fix what others have filled.
The wounds of neglect, the scars of delay,
Trying to undo what could’ve been saved.

It’s painful to see and harder still,
When life slips away despite every will.
To watch him fade after all that you’ve tried,
A heart full of sorrow, a soul that’s denied.

The things you can't fix, the damage you see,
Would never have happened if he’d been freed.
If only the call had been made at the time,
Perhaps he would’ve thrived, not fallen behind.

Because later we fight and give our all,
To what life remains, fragile and small.
But it’s hard to accept, harder to know,
That a simple choice could’ve helped him grow.

So when you find that baby, lost and alone,
Don’t wait, don’t hesitate, don’t make him your own.
Give him to the ones who know what to do,
Before it’s too late, before hope falls through.

~ Shai Ager

09/11/2024

**WARNING: VERY DISTRESSING CONTENT - GRAPHIC IMAGES WILL BE POSTED IN THE COMMENTS*** Incident - 9th November 2024.

EDITED TO CLARIFY: Yes, Stags are starting to shed their antlers. This was not the case in this situation. The antlers were cut across in a straight line, showing serrations, and still bleeding. In a shed, this would not be the case - hence why it was reported, and video evidence provided.

As a rescuer and rehabilitator, we think we have seen all there is to see when it comes to injuries. We know that sadly, a large percentage of injured animals will not be able to survive or recover from their injuries. We are grateful for the kind people we meet along the way that care for the welfare of these animals.

What we also see is unbelievable acts of human cruelty. And just when you think you have seen it all... You witness something that really makes you question if some people have the to right to called human beings.... Today was one of those days.

Today a Fallow Deer stag was hit by a motor vehicle. He did not die, but he was left with injuries incompatible with life. He had a broken leg and internal injuries. Deer, as with all large quadrupeds should be reported to authorities if they are hit and not deceased (if a person without the correct licences/permits and knowledge of the laws and regulations is not available to assist), as they require special treatment when euthenasea is required for safety reasons.

This deer was located in Campbell Town. He was on the side of the road. Whether that's where he was hit or he was dumped there later? We don't know the answer to that.

This is what we DO know.
1. A number of concerned passers by contacted Bonorong on 9th November about an injured doe deer sitting on the side of the road. Why did they think it was a doe? Well, it had no antlers!
2. The deer was sitting beside the road for hours. Alive.
3. When the rescuer finally arrived to assist, the deer had finally passed from his injuries.
4. The deer was NOT a doe - SOMEONE HAD SAWN OFF HIS ANTLERS WHILE HE WAS STILL ALIVE!!!

Yes, fallow deer are considered a feral pest in Tasmania - it's why we have hunting seasons and population management - but no animal deserves that sort of disgusting disregard for their welfare... their suffering. It's inhumane. It's TORTURE. It is also ILLEGAL.

**THIS INCIDENT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO TASMANIA POLICE & NRE - GAME SERVICES**

Someone potentially witnessed the sawing off of the stag's antlers and didn't realise what they were seeing - someone knows what happened. If you were driving past and noticed any unusual behaviour on the side of the road coming into Campbell Town last night or this morning, and even better, if you have dash cam footage? Please contact TasPol and Game Services. I have included a pin drop of where the stag was found.

- Animal cruelty should be reported.
- Illegally harvesting deer antlers should be reported.

PLEASE SHARE AND HELP US FIND THE PERPETRATOR(S) OF SUCH A DISGUSTING ACT

He should never have been made to suffer more than he already was. Whoever you are, you made a conscious CHOICE to cause extra pain and trauma to a dying animal rather than finding him help. I will never understand how someone can do what you did.