WIRES (Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service) today announced the recipients of its 2025 National Grants Program, awarding $915,341.96 in grants to 76 wildlife rescue and rehabilitation projects across Australia.
In its’s fifth year the National Grants Program is strongly focused on frontline wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, with most of the funding directed to critical care equipment, enclosures, and emergency response capability. A consistent secondary focus supports volunteer training, disaster preparedness, and species-specific recovery, while a smaller but strategic portion invests in habitat restoration, research, and monitoring to improve long-term conservation outcomes.
Many grants focus on equipment that will serve carers for years to come, building long-term capacity within the wildlife rescue network according to WIRES CEO Leanne Taylor.
“These grants represent our commitment to supporting the dedicated wildlife carers and rescue organisations on the frontline of animal welfare,” said Taylor. “Every piece of equipment funded through this program will directly improve survival outcomes for injured, sick, and orphaned native wildlife.”
The dominant theme across the grants is investment in life-saving medical and intensive care equipment, including ICUs, incubators, brooders, oxygen and nebulisation systems, diagnostic tools, and triage facilities. These grants directly target improved stabilisation, treatment, and survival outcomes for injured, sick, and orphaned wildlife, particularly macropods, birds, bats, reptiles, turtles, and koalas.
Devon Valley Wildlife Shelter in Victoria will use a grant of $8,000 to acquire a portable ICU, in-shelter ICU, oxygen concentrator, autoclave steriliser, and automatic pole syringe kit to improve response and intensive care across a large regional catchment.
A significant portion of funding supports physical infrastructure, such as aviaries, flight cages, predator-proof enclosures, soft-release yards, sheds, fencing, water tanks, and quarantine facilities. These projects increase rehabilitation capacity, improve animal welfare, and enhance volunteer safety, particularly in regional and disaster-affected areas.
An $8,000 grant will enable Born Free Wildlife Carers Inc. (WA) to construct compliant aviaries and Western Ringtail Possum enclosures incorporating rainwater storage, climbing infrastructure, and rodent‑proofing. These upgrades will significantly improve rehabilitation outcomes for critically endangered possums and native birds.
Many grants focus on frontline rescue capability, including PPE, rescue kits, radios, thermal and drone technology, capture equipment, and mobile or inflatable field hospitals. This reflects rising rescue demand linked to floods, fires, drought, and human–wildlife conflict.
With Australia facing increasing threats from bushfires, extreme weather events, and habitat loss, several grants specifically address emergency preparedness. For example, Wildlife SEQ Incorporated received $8,000 to provide safety and disaster preparedness packs to their carers, along with specialist rescue equipment for deployment during natural disasters.
A broad range of species, including koalas, possums and gliders, birds (raptors, parrots, seabirds), macropods, wombats, bats, reptiles, turtles, and endangered species are supported in this grant round. There is a focus on care complexity and where there is high conservation risk.
With a $15,200 grant, FAME (SA) will map and monitor Sandhill Dunnart habitat using camera stations, track surveys, and habitat assessments, expanding much‑needed data on this critically vulnerable species. The findings will help refine feral predator control and guide ongoing recovery efforts across the Gawler Ranges region in South Australia.
A smaller but strategic subset of grants supports habitat recovery, including nest boxes, artificial hollows, water stations, tree planting, and soft-release infrastructure. These projects extend impact beyond rehabilitation into longer-term conservation outcomes.
With a $20,000 grant, Indigo Creek Landcare Group (VIC) will create and estimated 35-50 artificial hollows across up to 17 mature trees to counter the loss of natural hollows from clearing, fire, and drought. The work will support 58 native species, including 11 threatened and include a community demonstration day and expert talks.
Several grants support research and data collection, including habitat mapping, genetic studies, species monitoring, and AI tools for environmental management. These projects address critical data gaps and support evidence-based conservation and policy.
A $47,394 grant will enable the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney to investigate the effectiveness of a formulated supplementary diet for koalas undergoing rehabilitation, addressing challenges created by fluctuating and often limited browse availability. The project will develop standardised feeding protocols to guide the introduction, administration and monitoring of supplementary diets, helping improve health and recovery outcomes while supporting the long‑term resilience of koala care programs.
Consistent investment is made in training, upskilling, and community engagement, recognising that effective wildlife response relies on skilled volunteers, strong networks, and public participation.
Over the last five years WIRES has allocated over $4million to 369 programs via the National Grants program.
“We’re not just funding equipment – we’re investing in the future of wildlife conservation,” added Taylor. “These resources will enable carers to respond more quickly to emergencies, provide better care during rehabilitation, and achieve higher success rates for animals released back into the wild.”
This year’s grants will be distributed immediately, with projects expected to commence and be completed throughout 2026.
ABOUT WIRES
WIRES is Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation, committed to the rescue and care of native Australian wildlife. Through its National Grants Program, WIRES supports wildlife carers, rescuers, and rehabilitation organisations across the country.
SPECIAL GRANTS
Mikla Lewis OAM Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Grant - The Gondwana Rainforest Trust
Gondwana Rainforest Trust has been awarded $20,000 to help deliver the Avian Megafauna Corridor Restoration Project in Far North Queensland, reconnecting lowland tropical rainforest with the World Heritage–listed Daintree National Park. Over 12 months, the project will restore previously cleared land through the planting of 6,000 rainforest trees, strengthening vital wildlife corridors for threatened species, including the endangered Southern Cassowary. The project will also include independent summer and winter fauna surveys to guide long-term conservation efforts and support best practice habitat restoration, ongoing land care, and the well-being of wildlife on Trust-owned land.
Pat Connors Avian Grant - The University of Queensland
The University of Queensland is leading a groundbreaking investigation into Lorikeet Paralysis Syndrome (LPS), a seasonal and often fatal neurological condition affecting Rainbow Lorikeets across south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales. With the cause of LPS remaining unknown for more than 15 years, the project will use advanced toxicological testing to examine two suspected naturally occurring toxins — botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) and ricinine, derived from the invasive castor oil plant. By testing affected birds, environmental samples from known hotspots, and developing non-invasive diagnostic methods, the research aims to strengthen wildlife disease surveillance, reduce pressure on wildlife hospitals, and inform wildlife conservation policy to protect Australia’s native bird populations. They have received a grant of $47,398.
Helen George OAM Mammal Grant - The Conservation Council of WA
The Conservation Council of WA is utilising this grant of $17,160 support bat conservation in southwest Western Australia through research, habitat restoration and community engagement. The project will identify and monitor bat roosts, trial artificial roosting structures to replace declining tree hollows, and collect critical data to inform conservation policy and climate adaptation strategies.