Training in Tasmania 

Introduction to Tasmanian Mammals Course

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.

To help improve wildlife rehabilitation outcomes, the Introduction to Tasmanian Mammals Course was launched in October 2021, in collaboration with Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE). This introductory training program provided participants with the fundamental knowledge and skills required to become a wildlife rehabilitator for common Tasmanian mammal species.

Please note: This training program is currently closed and we are no longer accepting new enrolments for this course. If you are already enrolled in the Introduction to Tasmanian Mammals Course, you’ll find important information on upcoming workshops outlined below.

To learn more about training opportunities to become a wildlife rehabilitator in Tasmania, please visit the NRE website.

If you are interested in volunteering to rescue wildlife in Tasmania, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary regularly runs free rescue training courses.

This course was developed in collaboration with Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (formally DPIPWE) and WIRES.

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Enrolment Criteria

Participants needed to:  

  • Be aged 18 years and over to register for the training.
  • Have a permanent residential address in Tasmania, Australia.
  • Ideally have their own transport in order to collect animals coming into care, and to transport animals to/from vet appointments and to approved release sites post rehabilitation. 

Course Details

The course consists of an online theory component and a practical face-to-face workshop. The enrolment period for this course is 12 months. 

The online theory takes roughly 6-8 hours to complete. Once you have completed the online theory, you will then be able to complete the workshop component of your training. The online component must be finished before you can book a workshop. The workshop component is a 1-day practical session. 

Important Workshop Information

To attend a workshop, you must: 

  • Be actively* enrolled in the Introduction to Tasmania Mammals Course
  • Have completed all components of the online theory component 

*Active refers to being within your valid 12-month enrolment period. Contact training@wires.org.au if you are unsure whether you meet this criteria and are interested in one of the below workshops. 

Limited Spaces: Workshop spaces are limited, and once they're full, you can add yourself to a waitlist via the WIRES Training Site or register for another available workshop. 

Registration Deadline: Registrations close at 4pm on the Friday before the scheduled workshop. 

 

2026 Tasmania Workshops

      • October 10 - Kingston, Tasmania

Further workshops will be listed here as soon as they are confirmed.

 

Completed Workshops (2026)

    • January 24 - Longford, Tasmania
    • January 31 - Taroona, Tasmania
    • March 29 - Campbell Town, Tasmania
    • May 23 - Kingston, Tasmania
    • August 16 - Flinders Island, Tasmania

WIRES acknowledges the contribution of Wildlife Network Tasmania in facilitating these workshops.

WNT Portrait logo (1) (2)

What species can I help with?

This course was designed to train new rehabilitators in the essential skills they need to begin caring for fully furred Brushtail Possums, Bennett's Wallabies and Tasmanian Pademelons. For rehabilitators wanting to care for other animals, more experience and advanced training is needed. Please contact the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) to find out more. 

Pademelon - debbie.davis4@bigpond.com

What's involved?

  • Current students can access the online theory modules via the WIRES Training Site. Upon completion of the online theory, students can then book into a practical workshop.
  • After course completion (online theory + workshop) students can download a course certificate and apply via NRE Tas to become a rehabilitator.

Course Refund Policy

Please review the Course Refund Policy prior to enrolment for a better understanding of the refund policies that apply to this course.